


Star Doll

by Grimesus



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, BDSM, Daddy Issues, Daddy Kink, Divorce, F/M, Light BDSM, Light Dom/sub, No Apocalypse, Older Man/Younger Woman, Rough Kissing, Rough Oral Sex, Sex, Starting Over
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2018-11-28 22:38:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 27,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11427693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grimesus/pseuds/Grimesus
Summary: She's like a thousand other singers in the Big Apple trying to make it big. Audition after rehearsal... she's so immersed in her work before she realizes that she's missing something. (Extremely alternate universe! Mature/Adult content ahead)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! This story is set in New York City, and is extremely alternate universe. There are no walkers or zombie apocalypse included in this story. Please be aware of this all before reading, and I truly hope you enjoy this.

The sun sets behind towers of cement, lights flooding the floors of the city that truly never slept. The night life had began, and that was Beth Greene's call.

She had packed up her belongings, said goodbye to her alcoholic father, and set out for New York. Small town girl trying to make it big in the city was a show in itself, she often thought to herself. But she had been doing pretty well, in her own opinion. She earns a decent pay through performing at gigs and events, or enough to pay the bills. She stays in a small apartment with her sister, Maggie. They had both left their father before they did anything they would regret. Maggie had moved out a year prior to Beth, and when Beth had contacted her about moving, Maggie had cleared a space in the spare bedroom. 

Once settled in, Beth got to work. She's pulling shifts at a local coffee shop in downtown Manhattan, and using the nights to excel her singing career. Most mornings she wakes up beyond tired, but ties her apron on and puts on a smile for all the customers. Small town girl never thought there would be so many coffee names or combinations, either. Once her shift ends, she tosses work shoes into a backpack and storms out the door into the city's hustle and bustle. It's October, so the season is just starting to change in the big city. When the sun goes down, she puts on a thicker dress to wear to her singing performance. 

Maggie had mixed feelings about this new Beth. Back home in upstate New York, she was somewhat meek and shy. She was her little sister; the baby of the family for sure. After their mother had passed, their father had turned to drinking. He had always been a drinker, but when the final grain of dirt was placed of their mother's grave, he nearly doubled his intake on the daily. The toxicity of the house had pushed Maggie to focus on work and her career. She felt twinges of selfishness for worrying about herself and forgetting about her little sister, 17 at the time, about to graduate high school. Maggie saved up enough money and put a security deposit on an apartment in Brooklyn. Within a few weeks, she was out of the house and nearly a hundred miles from home. She often paid for a bus ticket for Beth to travel into the city. She'd take Beth to musicals or such for a little vacation away from home. Beth had always enjoyed herself, and after a summer of no job and nowhere to go, Beth was fed up with her father who was too stubborn to help. She took life by the reigns and called Maggie.

Beth's bright attitude lights the path for her, though. She doesn't mind her job too terribly, and every night is a thrill in the city. Most nights end with her taking the subway to Brooklyn, stumbling home, kicking boots off and throwing house keys into a dish on the counter before falling into her bed. Maggie is almost always in bed by the time she gets home.

The fall weather has the coffee shop serving more hot drinks than anything. Pumpkin spice flavored drinks were popular, and the line is almost out the door.  _Pumpkin spice this, pumpkin spice that._ Beth had a new habit of reaching for the flavoring before the customer could even open their mouth to order. The line flows through and she sees a few regulars. 

Melanie, a manager at the botanical garden down the street. She loves the mid-day coffee perk because aromatherapy could only do so much.

Scott, a construction worker that had been working on the project a few blocks down. It was such a mess and he had escaped the work site any second he could.

Hillary, a corporate sensation. She usually sends her interns for coffee but likes to get out of the office.

And then there's Grimes. Beth isn't sure of his actual name, but he always says Grimes for the name on the cup. So she calls him that. His order is the same. Dark roast coffee with a blueberry muffin. Nothing more, and nothing less.

When she catches his eye in line, she usually has his order ready. He always looks busy, mostly because he uses his phone while he's waiting in line, like he's in some business chat or something. He's always in an expensive suit and dress shoes. Hair slicked back with curls at the ends, and a groomed beard. By the time he gets to her in line, she hands him the bag with a muffin inside and a warm coffee cup. He winks at her, and she blushes and smiles back with a nod. He goes back to his phone and the line inches toward the cash out section. 

Beth mixes a few drinks, before her manager looks over. "Beth, you're on break. I need you back in fifteen, though."

Perking her head up, she hands the cup of coffee she was in the process of making to the customer and wishes them a nice day. Hands pull at apron strings and she hangs it up on the rack behind the counter. She fixes herself a latte in the background of the chaos of the lunch rush, and makes her way to the seating area. It's not packed, and it's a big enough shop that it's distanced from the bunch of customers that it's actually a little quiet. She sets her latte on the table before looking over to see Grimes sitting by himself, on his phone, muffin untouched and cell phone glued to his hand. Eyes along with it. She raises an eyebrow, before taking a seat.

"I'm surprised you haven't tried this whole pumpkin spice craze," Beth said over to Grimes. "I mean, practically everyone gets it..."

No response. 

"I guess dark roast is good, though. I'm not an actual coffee enthusiast but... it's pretty good and easy to make." She nods and taps finger nails against the wooden table. "And the muffins here are good, too."

Again, silence from him. Beth takes a sip from her latte that's already getting cold. "Hey, _you_ ," she says in a slightly louder voice that makes his eyes move from the screen of his iPhone to her azure orbs. 

"Huh?" He huffs out, looking over. Had he always looked this tired?

Beth smiles. "You're like, addicted to that thing."

Grimes forces a small smile before nodding. "A lot's going on."

"I get it. You look like you could be the CEO of some company—"

"Well, I am," he says in a matter-of-fact tone.

Beth raises a brow. "Oh." She looks away for a brief second and back to him. "I know your last name because I saw it on the receipt, but it didn't say your first name. Grimes, right?"

" _Rick Grimes,"_ he says with a smile. He types something up on his phone; a company website with a list of positions and his name and picture right next to the title of CEO.

She smiles and nods. "Beth Greene. Nice to meet you, Mr. Grimes."

His stern exterior didn't seem that bad anymore. "Likewise, Ms. Greene."

She stands, walking over to his table with her drink in hand. "Mind if I..."

"Please do," he commands with a hand motion.

As she sits, she looks across. His eyes are blue and he looks so mature. He's at the opposite end of the spectrum. So he's successful, and has a great job. What else? She hadn't made much for friends in the city, and this is the most interesting conversations she's had in a while. 

"Have you ever had it?" She asks.

Confused, his eyes glance up from his screen once more. "Had what?"

She rolls her eyes quickly before fluttering her lashes. "Oh boy," she slides her cup forward. "You really  _weren't_ listening before. Try it."

He looks down and back up as if he were to protest. 

"I'm your barista. I shower every day and brush my teeth three times a day, I'm not nasty. Go ahead." She motions. "It's pumpkin spice."

Hesitating, he picks up the cup and lifts it to his lips, sipping. His face turns from normal to bitter, and he makes a disgusted face. Beth can't help but chuckle.

"That's... disgusting," Rick takes a napkin and wipes his lips while Beth slides the drink back to her own space. The sweetness lingered onto his taste buds and tasted absolutely vile. How could anyone drink that stuff? Who would  _voluntarily_ order that? And this is a craze?

She swirls it a bit. "It's more popular for teenage girls and trendy people." She giggles and he sips his own coffee. Anything to get that horrid taste out of his mouth.

"This is why I don't try other coffees." Rick said as his own coffee went down his throat. 

Beth takes another sips the drink in her hand. "You're very... _**vanilla**_. I've totally broadened my coffee drinking horizons since I've started working here."

"And you're drinking  _that_ shit?" Rick raises his eyebrow. "I don't know if I trust you to make my coffee anymore."

Beth taps his leg with her shoe under the table and chuckles. "Trust me, your coffee is the easiest I make all day."

"Is that all you do?" Rick asks before taking a bit of the muffin into his mouth. "Or do you do anything else?"

"I'm not a CEO or anything but," she pauses. "I do sing."

Rick nods. "Huh." She didn't look nothing like a big shot singer, but pretty faces seemed to be a package with a good voice. Most of the time, anyways. 

Beth smiles. "Yep. Part time barista, part time singer." 

He swallows the bite of muffin, and sips his drink. "Where do you sing?" Curiosity spikes, and he's itching to hear her voice in action. Now, he didn't expect his barista to break out into tune in the middle of her coffee shop but...

Rosy lips turn to a smile. "Are you asking for an invitation?" She leans forward before she hears her name being called from the back.  _Beth, break's over. We've got orders stacking up._ She curses under her breath before turning back to him and taking a napkin from the holder. "Got a pen?"

He digs into his bag, before handing it over to her. Curious eyes look at the bag, which is obviously an expensive one. Geez, was this guy really a CEO? Hands take the pen and she writes something down, and slides out of the chair. "Be there at 10 tonight. Have a drink while you're there. We have more than just coffee and pumpkin spice there."

He chuckles slightly before she's going back, dressing herself with an apron. Ponytail pulled back, visor on and greeting the next customer with a smile as she washes her hands.

That's when he's caught by his phone ringing once more, reminding him of  _what_ exactly he was in a bad mood about. He picks up the remainder of the muffin before disposing it, putting his bag across his chest and over the shoulder before walking out of the coffee shop. A good voice and drink didn't sound  _too_ bad. Of course, it'd be a small escape from all of this. He's been putting aside work for the time being to deal with his ex-wife, Lori. The divorce has her wild it seems, and she's grabbing every possible thing she can. Rick's already just moved into a new apartment in the upper east side of Manhattan, and trying to hold down what he's got. Then again, Lori's got Carl. The courts will do anything to keep the kid in her side, so Rick knows he can't fight that. Not that he wants to, either. Lori's got time for a kid. Rick? Well, there's a reason why he's divorced.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for continuing! I hope you find this story somewhat interesting, I'm having a blast writing it. Enjoy this next chapter!

As he makes his way up the elevator of the Manhattan-built tower, he can't stop thinking about her. How had he missed that bright smile? She was such a doll, he thought to himself. 

But he's neck-deep in his own shit. He's nearly 40, and getting divorced from his wife. The multitude of errors he'd made in that marriage had been colossal. At the start, it'd been pure happiness. He was working for outside of the city, and Lori, his wife at the time, had been in medical school. They were a dynamic duo that their friends in high school had envied beyond fathom. His career got busy, and he's pulling over 40 hours a week and she's at the hospital nearly every night it seemed. He doesn't even know how they fit in time for a kid. When she brings him the stick, he's in disbelief. They hadn't even began to plan a family, nor were they in a position to begin doing so. Not when Rick was so close to becoming head of his department and Lori becoming a fourth-year resident, preparing for board exams.

While Lori's taken set backs on her career, Rick's taken minimal set backs. Jealousy and bitter feelings grew toward Rick, and Lori couldn't admit that she loved him anymore. She took Carl and moved to her parent's house on Long Island where she commutes to work. Rick's apartment had become empty. 

Rick sets his brief case into the vehicle, taking a big sigh. It'd been a long day, and he almost considered skipping Beth's performance. But he had made plans, and he was going to stick with them no matter the divorce or not.

"Long day, sir?" The driver of the car asks, looking in the rear-view mirror.

Rick nods. "You could say that." He unbuttons his jacket and taps fingers on the console below the window. "I know I don't usually ask you to work late, but would you mind tonight? I'm going to an event and plan to have a few drinks."

The driver nods and puts the car into drive. "Absolutely. I'll need an address and a pick up time, if you don't mind."

"Certainly." Rick nods and glances out the window at street passers. "You've been very flexible these past few weeks. I will definitely give you your Christmas bonus early."

The driver smiles and pulls out into the city traffic. "Very kind, sir. I appreciate it."

Rick gives a nod and a faint smile. "Home, please. I'd like to change before the event."

Congested traffic made Rick know he might be a few minutes late, but he was sure she'd understand. She of all people knew a life of being busy, from what she'd told him earlier that morning. She was a real cheer up for him. He'd been down in the dumps for... God knows how long. She certainly had a perky attitude that he needed. Beaming kindness. It was hard to find in the concrete jungle, and Rick was starting to lose hope that he'd find someone like that. He hadn't given much thought to the invitation, or what it meant. In his mind, it was just Beth being kind. He was a regular at the coffee shop and she was always serving him. She knew him; what he liked, how he liked it, in what fashion, and the amount. And she hadn't even known his first name but damn was she still kind. Even if he had been on his phone most of the time, ignoring her or seeming rude. 

Upon turning into the parking garage of his apartment, Rick fixed his coat and picked up his bag. As soon as the car came to a halt, Rick opened the door, one leg out and one in. He turns to the driver, "Thanks. I'll be quick." Rick said before shutting the door and walking to the elevator past security. 

 

She sits in her dressing room, which isn't anything extravagant. It's old, dingy, and dusty. She performs here at least once a week. The bar keeps a steady booking and pay to her, so she takes it. Sitting in her chair, touching up her makeup, she stares into her reflection. Black lace dress clings to her body, lipstick coating her lips and eyes fluttering as she puffs out her chest. Her breasts aren't big but she feels beautiful in this dress nonetheless.

Her mind flutters again and she thinks of Rick. Would he show up? He seemed so busy. She didn't exactly get clarification if he was coming. He could get... lost, or just feel like he didn't have an obligation to come. If he did come, would she feel nervous? No, of course not! No, no way. She wets her lips and looks down, tossing makeup into her bag. She exhales and stands, walking over to the wall mirror to look at herself at a different perspective.

She hears a knock and turns to the door. "Yeah?"

"Beth, you're on in five." The voice calls through the door.

Beth walks over to the small sofa. "Thanks."

Small fingers open the guitar case, pulling the wooden guitar out. She checks to make sure it's tuned, and tests the strings. She'd gotten the guitar for her sixteenth birthday back on her family farm. Her father had seen her still playing with the guitar she'd gotten when she was in elementary school — far too outgrown for her at that age — and decided she'd needed another one. When she opened the gift, she remembers how Maggie couldn't stop smiling and how she begged her to play a tune. Beth took some adjusting to get used to the new guitar but adapted quickly. She'd sit on the porch and play, listening to tadpoles in the distance or the fall sounds. During the winter she'd sit outside too; cold, bitter New York air biting at her flesh. But that didn't stop her from practicing. Sounds of howling wind, branches clinking onto each other in the distanced forest created an eerie sound and feeling but she'd craved the odd setting so much.

A blink and she's back, putting the guitar sash around her torso and opening the door to get out and perform.

As she walks out, the announcer announces her name and a few rounds of claps go through. She smiles, stepping up onto the stage. She scans the audience, looking for a familiar face. A quick scan reveals none, and she frowns to herself and smiles after to keep up the performance. 

"Hope everyone's having a great night," Beth says softly into the microphone. "I'm gonna be singing a song written by me. It's called 'Be Good'." 

She steps back a little and sits on the stool provided for her as she looks at her finger placement and begins to play. Some patrons of the bar don't pay attention, wrapped up in their conversations. Some watch, eagerly awaiting each note sang. And some just drink. It's a bar, after all. 

_And pine for summer... and we'll buy beer to shotgun, an' we'll lay in our lawn... and we'll be good..._

_Now I'm laughing at my boredom, at my string of failed attempts..._

_So we will drink beer all day... and our guard will give way..._

She loses herself in the rhythm, singing. She's not focused on anything else in the bar except her own voice. And she plays wonderfully, smiling once she's finished as many of those in the bar erupt in applause. As she looks around with a smile on her lips, she spots that familiar face.

He's sitting right at the bar drinking a damn whiskey, looking at her with the biggest smile she'd ever seen him wear. And God, was he not wearing a suit?

 

She gets off stage and the announcer announces the next performer, and she's blocking it out. She looks around before sitting next to him, and as she approaches he's got a big grin on his face. Stubble perfectly in tact, he's wearing a plaid shirt with jeans (expensive, nonetheless) and casual shoes. Casual for a CEO, anyways.

"You sang great," Rick chided as Beth sits. She leans forward, ordering a water and ice. 

Beth blushes. "Thanks, Rick." Her eyes look down, and then back up. "When did you get here? I didn't see you before I got up."

Rick takes a swig off the glass, sipping down strong whiskey. "Just after you started, I'd assume. Everyone loved it... even heard a few people buttering you up before you came over." Rick stirs the drink. "You're a pretty big star, Beth."

Beth can't help but laugh and push onto his arm. "Funny," she looks up with stars in her eyes as the water is slid to her. She takes a big sip, before setting it down. "Thanks for coming. It does mean a lot."

Rick nods before taking a second, thinking. He'd remembered that there was going to be a charity dinner for something... something that Lori had arranged months prior. Something for a medical association? Or a fund, of some sort. Fundraiser? Most likely. They were still looking for a few entertainers to keep the party going smoothly. Should he ask her? It'd be a huge favor, obviously... but she's got the potential. Of course, with what they're offering to pay, they want someone professional... but...

"—How much of a drive is it for you to get here? If you were late, I'd suspect the traffic." Beth said before sipping water.

Rick takes a second to respond before pulling himself out of thought. "It's only a small drive. I've got a driver."

Beth nods. "Oh." She says, before hitting herself upside the head, mentally.  _He's a freaking millionaire, Beth. He could pay someone to eat his shit; literally!_

 

Rick smiles back and looks away. God, was he blushing? No, of course not. He scans the bar before looking over to her again as she sips her water. "Let me buy you a drink, my treat,"

She shoots a look at Rick with wide eyes again. "Oh, uh," Beth looks at Rick and laughs a little. "Well, I'm flattered but..."

Rick freezes. Did she think that he...?

"...I'm only 19, Rick. Just turned it a few weeks ago." Beth admits with a chuckle. 

Rick sits forward a little, before turning with a dumbfounded smile. "Could have had me fooled..." Rick said and Beth only blushed once more. Snowy cheeks made it easy for her to show the emotion.

"I think I'll stick to water tonight." Beth said with a bright smile. "But thank you for offering. I so would have gotten one if Uncle Sam said I could have one." 

Rick laughed at the comment and took the final swig of his drink. Her eyes look down before she opens her mouth to speak again.

"I don't want to be rude but I have to get home," Beth admits. "I've got an early shift and by now I'd be on the subway." 

Shocked, Rick looks at her. "You... take the subway at this time at night?"

Beth shrugs. "Yeah, it's how I get home. I don't have a car or anything."

Rick had remembered the few times he had to take the subway home, years ago. He'd hated the eerie feelings and sketchy vibes it had reeked of. "Why don't I give you a ride home tonight? It'd make me feel better knowing you got home safely."

"A gentleman," Beth says with a smile. "much more than the guy who just gets a muffin and dark roast every day and doesn't even say anything to me..."

Rick takes out his phone, texting his driver. He looks up and scowls. "Hey, it's an addicting order."

Beth downs the last of her water. "Next time I get your order, you'll be getting pumpkin spice. And you'll be all the way in your office by the time you realize it." 

Rick snorts and shakes his head. "I always take a sip before I'm out the door. Maybe you're not as attentive to detail as I thought," Rick says before turning and taking the pen on the bar a few seats down and taking an old business card in his wallet out. He writes a few numbers and slides it to Beth. "That's my number. If you ever need a ride, just let me know."

Beth looks at the card. "Really?"

Rick nods. "I don't want the star doll to be taking the subway to Brooklyn in the peak of the night."

Before Beth could say anything, he stands. "Our ride's here. C'mon," 

Beth picks up the guitar that'd been leaning against the bottom of the bar and trails Rick. "I've gotta get a few things, hold on," she says before going to one of the back hallways. She returns with a big purse, smiling before following him out to the night.

 

He opens the door to the black Cadillac Escalade, letting her get settled. He takes her guitar case, and her few bags to the back. Popping open the trunk, arranging the items so they weren't on top of each other. She sits and reaches for the buckle before she makes eye contact with the driver in the mirror.

"Oh," Beth says, startled slightly. She flashes a smile. "I'm Beth."

The driver gives a nod. "Nice to meet you. Lance, Rick's driver." He says before checking mirrors and seeing Rick walk to his side, sliding into the back seat with a slam of the door. "Address?" 

Rick buckles, and turns to Beth. He gives her a look to allow her to answer, adjusting himself so he's comfortable under the seatbelt. 

"76 Park Slope," Beth says, adjusting her own seat belt as well.

Lance gives a nod before putting the car into drive, and rolling up the barrier between the driver and the two of them. Beth glances over to Rick, slight smile. 

"Thanks for the ride," she shrugs. "Again."

Rick nods. "I was being serious about the ride. Any time, anywhere." 

Beth leans her head against the window, watching the cityscape pass by. Pedestrians walking the sidewalks, food trucks still open even at this hour, and the homeless pandering for their next dollar. She's exhausted today, closing her eyes briefly in the black backseat of the Escalade. The car's dull hum is enough to rock her to sleep it feels like, but she stays awake. She did feel safe around Rick, anyways. Today was the first day she'd actually spoken to him, and vice versa. But they'd known each other for so long it felt like. Was this... a date? No, it couldn't be. Just two friends getting to know each other. This wouldn't be a date anyways, he's nearly forty!  _Beth, he IS forty. Crap, would it be bad to admit that he's kind of attractive?_ She adjusts herself and glances over to Rick who's looking out at the city. She's surprised he's not looking at his phone, or talking on it. She's never seen him without his phone in his hand before tonight. 

The way the light reflects off of him is enough to put butterflies in her stomach. She smiles to herself, looking back out her own window as she sees signs for her street coming up. Tonight was special, to say the least. She'd met someone new in this city that didn't have to give her a paycheck because she'd just sang wonderfully. This was just two humans being friendly. Maggie's probably worried that she's not home yet, that, or asleep on the couch from watching too much Animal Planet. 

"You live in a nice neighborhood." Rick says in a soft voice, not wanting to startle her — but he did.

She jumps slightly and breathes a laugh. "Thank you, Mr. Grimes." She says with a matter-of-fact tone. "I expect to see where you live someday too."

"Is that another invitation? Or a request?" Rick asks with a small smile on his face that's shown faded in the dim light.

Beth puts her hand over his, the one that's resting on the seat of the car. "It is. Text me when you want to see me again, or steal me away from my coffee tower for my break."

Rick's thumb caresses her hand before the car stops and the driver rolls down the barricade between them. "Miss Beth, your destination has arrived."

Beth looks into Rick's blue eyes through dim light. "Thanks for the ride. See you again soon, Mr. Grimes." She unbuckles and opens her car door. "Thank you for driving, Lance."

Lance gives another nod and she exits the car door, shutting it from behind. The last image of him that she sees is him looking at her, biting his lip and gazing at her. She smiles to herself, turning around to get her things from the trunk and going up the stairs to her apartment.

 

Key unlocks the door, and she's stumbling in. She sets it down in the dish on the table, before glancing over to the living room. Maggie must be in bed, she thought to herself before setting her guitar down and setting the makeup bag on the table. She grabs a glass from the cabinet, fills it with water, and heads to her bedroom for a much-needed rest. The butterflies are still in her stomach and she can't believe that night had just happened. She's got so much to look forward to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please leave a review! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you'll read the next one.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait on the update! Life has been kinda hectic getting ready for college and all. Enjoy! And yes, the NSFW stuff is coming... soon!

_It's one of her only days off. She's checking on her child, making sure that he's sound asleep and safe in his bed. She looks out into the vast lights of the city from his window before looking back and down. Legs move quietly, escaping the room without a sound so she doesn't wake him. The click of the door shutting is soft, and she walks down the hall. The apartment is quiet, and she makes her way to the kitchen. Sleepwear covers her body, and she feels it lift up as she raises arms to reach the wine bottle on top of the rack. Hands unscrew the cork, and she pours herself a glass that's more full than usual._

_Sips are taken with deep breaths in and pleasuring exhales. The dimmed light in the kitchen puts her at ease, but there's still the stress of everything that's weighing on her mind. Her mother's telling her to break away and take her son with her. But how could she give up on nearly fifteen years of marriage, along with three years of flirting endlessly with him? They were perfect together... or used to be. How could she let their relationship fall to this level?_

_Legs walk, leading her to the window that shows the nightlife. Another sip of red wine and she closes her eyes upon swallowing. How could she just let go of Rick Grimes? The father of their child, a man so successful that anyone who took a first-glance at their relationship would think she'd be a dumb bitch to walk away from. He's everything women want. Good looking, a good cook, great in bed, and a wonderful father to children. But who was she to take their opinion to heart? They didn't know shit._

_She hears the door unlock and footsteps enter, and she knows it's him. This is the time he gets home every night. Maybe this time he'd admit that he was cheating on her. She'd be a hypocrite if she didn't admit her infidelity in the past few months... but that's just another thorn in their garden of a marriage. There's silence among rummaging, hearing the fridge open and a drink being opened. She turns a head, looking back._

_"What's the excuse this time?" She asks, careful to be quiet for Carl, their son, was sleeping in a few rooms down._

_He's silent for a few seconds and sits down on the sofa in the living room. "Work. You know it's getting more busy this time of the year, Lori."_

_Lori laughs to herself, quiet enough where he can't hear her. She shakes her head as she knows that a breath of lies just expelled from him, and it's another hammer onto the nail in the coffin of their marriage. "Your son's in bed. Sleeping. He asked where you were."_

_Rick looks over. "He knows work is important. I'm surprised he even cares that much — he seems more interested in playing that Call of Duty game than spending a day with his father." Rick says, as Lori turns to him._

_"He hasn't spent a day with his father in quite a while, wouldn't surprise me if he could even remember what it was like to spend a whole day with his father without it being interrupted by work." Lori jabs back with harsh words. "I at least try to take time off from work and make an effort to spend time with him."_

_Rick pinches his forehead, feeling a headache from stress. It'd been a **long** day to say the least, and now this? Of course, it was always this._

_Lori walks to the counter, feet going from a white carpet to chilled hardwood. Hands find a stack of papers before she stuffs them into Rick's chest. "You cheating bastard."_

_Immediately Rick looks down and breathes out, as Lori walks away to the balcony, sliding the glass door to the right and stepping outside into a chilly night. Wine glass shimmering in the city light, yet so pale and dull. She breaths in, and out. Her breath is actually visible — damn, she couldn't wait to get out of this goddamn city. She was moving to somewhere warmer... Miami? No. Orlando? Maybe... but her parents were in Atlanta..._

Flop. The pancake forms against a hot griddle, local news playing in the background as steam rose in the air. The smell of the aroma that was coffee had presented itself to the apartment, and it was enough to drag Beth out of her bed. White sheets tangled, she's watching her overhead fan swirl in circles above her. Going and going... she's getting so lost already. The sun shines adamantly through curtains, showing visible dust in the air as it falls to the hardwood floors. Beth sits up, glancing over to her alarm clock. Today was her one day off. The coffee shop wasn't open, and bars? Well, not exactly too popular on this day. Thank God for Sunday. Literally.

Beth's got a blanket around her body as she emerges from the bedroom, looking at Maggie's backside as she flips another pancake. Maggie loved cooking breakfast on Sundays, as it was an excuse not to go to church. Beth hadn't gone to church since she'd left home, and she assumed the same for Maggie. Beth sits at the kitchen table, still wrapped in a blanket covering her shoulders. She watches bits off the news.  _A recent attack in Turkey has officials alarmed—-  A string of tornadoes made an appearance last night in southern Missouri—-  Hillary Clinton showcases rally in Michigan as Trump rallies in Arizona—-_ it was all pointless to her. She was disgusted by the news, and turned away from it with a sour look. 

Maggie slides a white plate in front of her, setting down the carton of orange juice in the center of the table.  _And now more on New York weather..._ Beth exhaled. Eyes look up, and she's stirring home fries too. Wow, she's really spoiled this morning. That, or Maggie's guy-friend, Jason, is hanging around again. "So..." Beth starts, voice wandering off as she looks down at the linoleum on the floor. 

Brown hair swirls, turning as Maggie glances over to Beth. "I'm not saying anything until you tell me about who you've been hanging around." The big-sister instincts were kicking in, now.

Beth breathes a laugh. "Nobody."

"Oh come on," Maggie says as she flips another pancake. "Your love life can't be a mystery. We're sisters. Roommates, on top of that." 

Hands take the carton of orange juice, tipping the tip into the crystal glass cup to fill it. "Alright — fine!" Beth says with a small laugh. "His name is Rick."

"Wow, that wasn't hard." Maggie takes a sip of her coffee as she slips the spatula under the pancake, putting it on a paper plate to serve. "Is he cute?"

Beth immediately rolled her eyes. She didn't exactly know how to tell her sister about Rick. In the past, they had been so close... through their father's drinking, they bonded heavily and grew a great bond. But Beth felt so personal about this. Nothing was set into stone yet, and she didn't know how she felt. Was she falling in love? Probably, but how could she stop? The man was attractive. And kind. And generous. And he was so fun to be around. She's only known him personally for a week and a half now. Every day he still comes in for his order. Was it just her or is he ordering his coffee and muffin in increments? Adding another trip to the coffee shop had certainly been something he was doing lately. 

And it's been a while since she's heard back from Rick. Was he blowing her off? Not interested? Jeez, and did she always fret over boys like this?

"The only thing you're gonna know about him is what his name is. I didn't meet Jason until you were ready," Beth says with a taunting smile as Maggie dumps a pancake onto the glass plate.

Maggie pours more batter onto the pan, sizzling noise ensuing. She glances back toward Beth. "Jason's different, and you're my little sister. Baby Beth!"

Beth severs the cake with her fork, slicing off a piece and dipping it in syrup. "And you're my older sister!" Beth smirks over and Maggie shakes her head, muttering words of  _you're impossible_ under her breath.

 

Beth's phone lights up and vibrates, text filling her inbox. Beth immediately goes to grab her phone and Maggie turns around.

"Beth I swear to God if that's him..." Maggie has a look of awe on her face, eyes wide.

It was him.

"It's not! I just got a text from my boss asking me a question about the schedule next week..." Beth says, pulling up an older message from last week. Maggie wouldn't know the difference. "See?"

Beth holds out the cellphone and Maggie leans in, looking at the screen. She doesn't look fooled at first, but after a few seconds she looks up to Beth who retracts the phone. "Yeah, but for some reason I don't believe you."

A simple shrug comes from Beth, and Maggie tends to the pancakes again. That was close. Beth knows she can't keep Rick from Maggie forever, knowing the relationship between her sister and herself was too close. It was only a matter of days, or maybe even mere minutes until Beth would blab about Rick. About how she couldn't get him out of her head, thinking about him constantly... more than she'd like to admit. Fingers shake as she opens the text.

_Stuck in a meeting right now... maybe get together for a night out? I know a good restaurant that overlooks the water._

The message is enough to make her heart drop, and she's feeling butterflies. What was that? An invitation to a date? She couldn't say no, of course. And if it's a restaurant that overlooks the water, it's gotta be expensive. She's just praying that he's a gentleman enough to pay for her. 

_That sucks! I hope you get out alive. Dinner over the water sounds good._

Was that proper enough? She analyzes every word before pressing send, and double checks anything for spelling errors. This was a businessman... she had to be classy and formal. Nothing to kid about, here. Beth always thought of herself as older and more proper than girls her age, but was she really? Enough for the CEO of a company? She'd hoped so. The last thing she wanted to do was post a duck face selfie on her Instagram with the possibility of him seeing it and thinking to himself,  _is she really this silly?_

Of course, there was the question if Rick Grimes even had an Instagram... of course not. Unless it was for his company. 

Maggie sits down at the table, sliding a fresh plate of pancakes onto the table. Bacon from her other hand is set down, and she breathes out a sigh. She'd loved cooking, but the best part was definitely getting to enjoy the hard work she'd made. Beth sets her phone down, locking it before picking up her fork.

"I won't be home tonight, by the way." Maggie says casually as she pours herself a glass of orange juice. "Jason and I are going to see a play. If I'm not home whenever you come home tonight, don't wait up."

Beth nods. Of course, that meant that she wasn't coming home at all. Every Sunday night was either a night in for them, or a night that fed their literature-starved souls. At least you'd think that with the amount of plays they'd attended. Beth swallows the food in her mouth, before leaning forward a bit, sitting up.

"I won't. I'll probably just sit around watching a movie or something. Get a delivery of chinese food or something." Beth's fork cuts into another pancake. 

Maggie chews her food, nodding at Beth's idea of a night. In her mind, she thought it was boring to stay home on a day off, but she wasn't going to judge her sister.

 

_"Your father and I are going to be taking some time apart, sweet pea," Her voice is soft as she spreads peanut butter onto a slice of wheat bread. Of course, she'd always make Carl's lunch. She'd be damned if there was going to be replaced by some nanny or maid... there wasn't a spot for one. Not the way her husband acted around other women, either._

_Carl, nearly turning twelve, nodded. He'd seen it coming. His friends had divorced parents, some remarried and some not. Regardless, he wasn't a stranger to the idea. And sometimes wished that his parents would split. God only knew how much happier they'd be._

_"I understand." Carl says from the other side of the island in the kitchen, sitting on one of the barstools. "Dad had told me that you wanted to go to Atlanta for a while. With grandma and gramps. I think he was talking it up, trying to get me to want to go."_

_Lori fell silent for a second before screwing the cap on the peanut butter jar. "That... was the idea, yes," she slides the jar of jelly toward herself. "I don't think it's a bad idea for you to stay with your grandparents and I."_

 

The glass office had been silent. Her attorney glared at his, and vice versa. There was anger and hatred in the room. Lori sat there, hair put up into a bun almost with free bangs on her forehead. White blouse and tight black skirt hugging her thighs. Her wedding ring is off, he notices. He'd noticed it a couple times, actually. Their marriage had been in some heat for so long that it finally dried up the last of any love they held for each other. 

"Seriously, Rick? You can't put off work for an hour and discuss these terms?" Lori asked, voice dripping with venom and hate.

Rick sets his phone down, offering a smile to Lori that spewed a different message than happiness. "My bad."

The attorney for Lori scratched his head, flipping through a few papers. "Mr. Grimes, my client and I have revised previous documents and changed a few things. If you sign, she will receive full custody of your child, Carl Grimes, and the family vacation home in Malibu. All other assets remain yours, and there is no alimony or other monetary support laid out."

Rick looks to Lori with a glare. "The house in Malibu?"

"You know Carl loves it there. I'm there more than you are for business, and I've never heard you say one good damn thing about the house. It was my idea to buy it, and I'm taking it." Lori says, leaning forward with the idea that it'd give any intimidation. 

Rick scoffs. "And I can take Carl there, with whatever time I have left with him after you ring me out." Rick says before leaning forward as well. "This is ridiculous and you know it."

Lori lowers her head, staring at the glass table before closing her eyes shut and shaking her head. "You're being ridiculous, Rick," she looks up to his eyes and spits venom in her voice. "You've wanted a divorce for how many years? You're finally getting it." She licks her lips out of anger, sitting up once more. "I'm not here to take you to the cleaners with this divorce... I'm here for Carl and myself. Not to strip you of whatever you have."

Rick's silent, as he leans back into the black office chair.  _She was right,_ he thinks to himself. Lori hadn't wanted to do the man any more harm than what was done. 

Lori tilts her head, giving the man a somewhat sincere look. "You're my baby's father. But you're not in his life as much as I'd like you to be, and you've lost your chance."

Scratch that, _what?_

"He's my  _son,"_ Rick reckons, as the voice begins to turn more angry. 

"—Then act like a goddamn father, Rick!" Lori yells back with just as much anger. To be truthful, she'd had enough of the arguing but god was she just angry. "You never spend any time with him. I've told you over and over... and I know that I am no saint in this either, but I've made attempts. You are a horrible father."

The two attorneys in the room sit in silence, and Rick gets up and walks out of the office-like room with Lori pinching the bridge of her nose in the background.

 

Maggie leaves with the door shutting behind her, and Beth jumps out of her bed and gets ready for her date. It was a date, correct? It  _so_ was. She's showering, shaving her legs, putting on that expensive lotion she'd gotten for Christmas last year, and powdering her face. She sprays that luxurious perfume that made her feel like on of those women in New York that would walk the streets with shopping bags weighing down each finger. Most of those women had actually ended up in her coffee shop. 

 _Ba-ding_. Her cellphone lights up, and it's a text from him. Wet hair and a towel around her body, she jumps at the sight and opens immediately. 

He was such a gentleman.  _I'll pick you up at your place. Be there at 7._

Her heart flutters, and she's racing to get ready. But she takes her time, too. Perfecting each thing... she wants to make sure she's ready for him. A man with such power and symbolism deserved to be presented with her best. So she's doing her best at all of this, and the finished result is gorgeous in her own opinion. She has a tight, white dress on with matching heels. Hair pulled back into a ponytail, yet classy. It curls at the ends. Her lips painted with a bright red lipstick, nails painted the same color. She feels like a goddamn queen, and hopes that it doesn't mess her up for the night. Because she feels damn beautiful. Her ex-boyfriend back home, Jimmy, would be drooling at the sight of her now. 

_Did she mention she was wearing her good panties?_

She picks up her phone to text him back.  _Ready whenever you are._

 

 

It's not long before he's at her apartment, and she makes sure she has everything. Keys, makeup kit for when she's out, iPhone, and pepper spray. She never trusted her stomach fully, even when she was going to be going on a date. Not that she'd feel the need to use it with Rick, but it's always good to keep it on her, right?

 _Knock knock._ The sound practically makes her almost drop her purse.

He stands in the dim hallway, studying the apartment. It's old. Nothing new, that's for sure. Nothing like his. But a singer could only do so much in this city, right? He's feeling the after burn of the meeting with Lori and her divorce lawyers this morning, and just  ** _prays_** that it doesn't show with Beth. He was keeping Carl and Lori a secret until he felt ready to tell her. He knew she would understand, but it's not something you mention on the first date.

She opens the door and meets eye contact with him. She immediately smiles and he flashes a grin.

"You look... beautiful." Rick says as she opens the door a little more, studying what she's wearing.

Beth can feel herself blush, and stares at him for a second. "You too. Handsome."

She takes her purse, and turns off the lights before closing the door. "Are you ready?"

"I've been ready the moment I texted you." Rick laughs quietly, and wraps his fingers between hers, holding hands.

They walk down the hallway, and to the stairs in the apartment to their chariot below.

 

In the car, he's telling her how much he missed her. He admits that he'd been thinking about her all day, and that he'd loved their night out at her performance. He assures her her voice is angelic, and tells her how much he enjoyed watching her. She's blushing so much, and she's spilling her feelings about him. She admits that she'd loved serving him as a customer, being amazed at his mysterious vibe. And she admits that she loves his age, because she can tell he's feeling insecure about that too. The way he talks... the way he acts. It's painfully obvious in some ways. Their hands connect once more, and she gives him a smile.

They exit the car, finding themselves in downtown Manhattan. The Financial District was always so lit up at night, still bustling like it would be during the day. Beth takes Rick's hand as he helps her out of the car, and her pupils are met with city lights. Thoughts of how beautiful she looked under the city lights had entered Rick's mind. The sidewalk is somewhat crowded, with people outside smoking and talking. Chatter and tobacco, with sounds of horns and engines. She and Rick walk to the entrance of the restaurant.  _Crystal_ is the name of the restaurant, and as soon as she walks in she can see why.

Crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and gems had filled the lobby area. Rick guides them, and the man at the front desk searches for the reservation. Beth looks around, seeing women of all ages. Not one was under-dressed by any means. Men and women who obviously had money, and didn't mind flaunting it. Beth feels like she's seeing a new side of this city; a civilization that'd denied access to her due to the paycheck she received. She fixes her hair, walking with Rick to their table.

Their table is next to a giant glass window that moves from the floor to the ceiling, revealing a large portion of Manhattan to the couple. She can see the people below, the traffic, and even the bay that had lights reflecting off of it. It was absolutely gorgeous, and she had wanted to badly to take a picture just to savor the moment.

"Rick... this is _beautiful_ ," Beth admits as she looks around. She doesn't want to imagine the money it'd costed him, but then again, it's mere cents to him. Or so she figures.

Rick breathes in. "It is." He looks out where she's looking. Beams of light everywhere they look, the city was absolutely gorgeous at this time. The sun had mostly set, leaving a orange glow on the city. "Can I ask you something?"

Beth turns to him, smiling with red lips. "And what would that be?"

_Be my girlfriend, be my girlfriend, **please** let it be be my girlfriend._

Rick fixes his collared shirt. "My company is throwing a benefit dinner gala, and we're looking for performers. I told them I knew a great artist, and to reserve a spot." Rick reveals, and smiles at Beth. "I thought it'd be a good spot for you, if you'd like to take it."

Beth takes in a hard breath at first, and realizes that this would be her first big event. Not only that, but Rick Grimes had just asked her to perform at it. "Really?" She ponders the question, and without a doubt it's a yes, but there's so much to it. This is a giant opportunity, and not one to be wasted. She's getting excited for it already. "Of co— yes, of course!" She releases the bright response and looks at Rick with cheerful eyes. 

"I figured you'd want it." Rick smiles, happy that she'd gotten glee from the proposal. "Beautiful voice like yours needs to be heard."

She gives him a look of excitement, and giggles. "You're too kind, Rick Grimes, you know that?"

_Did you hear that, Lori?_

"That's why I wanted to get you out to dinner tonight, but... I also wanted to because I haven't seen you in such a while. Seeing you once a day for coffee isn't enough." He admits as she crosses her legs. "I want to get to know you more. You're... a—"

"A girl you want?" Beth blurts out, as this was her mind talking; not her. She can feel a blush coming, but she does her best to try to hold it off.

Rick's at a loss for words, before smiling faintly. "So  _fucking_ bad."

 


	4. Chapter 4

She's having fun with this. As she sits here, upper class all around her, Manhattan looking up at her, she feels empowered. She looks into the man's eyes across the table and she knows that he's into her. Butterflies flush through her stomach, but she's comfortable in this moment. 

Their meal was absolutely divine. She had never had such fine dining. She takes sips off his drink, not being able to order her own and could draw the conclusion that his taste in alcohol was much better than his taste for coffee. The restaurant setting is full of chatter, low and fine talk. Legs crossed, she looks across the table into the man's eyes.

"So  _fucking_ bad, huh?" She chides out of the blue.

Hearing her pretty lips leak profanity had made him perk up. That was the first time he'd heard her curse, and he raises an eyebrow until he catches the reference to what he'd said earlier. 

He's a gentleman, though. He keeps his drinking to a minimum when he's dining out, and he always pays for his date's meals. He dresses nice and would lay his jacket on the street for a girl no matter how expensive it was. And he keeps it casual. Legs crossed, he gives her a grin through his looks, not his smile. 

"Like you wouldn't even believe it." Rick admits, and Beth flushes. 

"So tell me, am I gonna get to have a tour of your place tonight?" She asks, eyes flickering before him as he lifts his drink to sip.

The man's eyes stare into her. Her red lipstick still perfect, hair done well. "If you'd like. But if you do," he starts, setting the glass down onto the table. "You're staying the night."

Beth feels a wave of goosebumps go across her thighs, and she smiles brightly. "I expected you'd want me to," she says as she plays mature on this one.

The serious tension is new to her; she'd never been like this before. So adult. So...  _sexual_. Daddy had always taught her to be rather modest and conservative, demanding her home by certain times and inspecting what she wore. Toward the end of their relationship, he was too drunk to give a rats ass if she was even in the house or not. Beth had gotten acquainted with her boyfriend, Jimmy, but God was he such a novice to this kind of stuff. She was too, but she craved someone who knew what they were doing.

"I don't want to keep you waiting." Rick says as he looks to the waiter that'd finished with the table next to them, and flagged him down. 

The check is brought with swift actions, and Rick picks up the tab. Beth doesn't even want to see the total from a place like this, and she looks out at the streets of Manhattan. They weren't far from her coffee shop, and the bustle of the streets below looked the same as it did during the day. 

It's not long until they get up to leave, and Rick walks her out of the restaurant. He's on the phone with his driver, Lance, giving him orders to pick them up. The two wait outside on the sidewalk, in front of the restaurant. It's bright and there's classical music playing, along with men and women dressed up and smoking. 

"Do you smoke?" 

The question catches her off guard, but she turns to him with her full attention and a perked eyebrow to ask what he'd said again to make it clear.

" _Do you smoke?_ " he repeats, and she scrunches her nose at the accusation.

Beth had revolted the act, as Jimmy would smoke to act cool. All the boys in her school would either smoke or chew tobacco to seem tough or rigid (that's what happened when you go to a school in the rural parts) and it downright disgusted her.

"God, no," Beth shakes her head with a slight laugh. "Do  _you_ _?_ "

Rick shakes his head, looking around for Lance's car. "Used to. When I was younger."

"What made you quit?" Beth asks, knowing there's always a story behind quitting that kind of addiction. Plus, insight on his life. How could she pass that up?

_I quit for my son while my wife was pregnant._

That was the real explanation. Lori had announced that she was pregnant, and Rick went out and bought the patches you put on your arm. He knew it was time to quit, for his health and for Lori's. She hated him smoking, and eventually he had too; it was just a matter of quitting.

"I didn't want to get cancer or anything like that. That, and I was already under enough stress with the company I was working for at the time." 

Beth nods, watching the car that had driven them here make its way through congested traffic. The car parks at the sidewalk, and Rick opens the door for Beth. She climbs in, taking off heels once Rick shuts the door behind them. And like that, Lance pulls into the weave of traffic.

In the car, it's not like before; the first night she'd rode in the car they were on opposite ends of the car. The distance between them had been definite and absolute, but now? He sits next to the window and she's in the middle, leaning against him, hand in his. She leans into him, pressing her lips against his cheek to give him a small peck.

"Thanks for dinner, handsome," she coos softly into his ear.

The kiss goes straight to his cock. When did he start viewing her as someone to fuck versus someone that he'd viewed normally? 

"My pleasure, sweetheart." He says softly, tightening his grip slightly on her hand.

 _Sweetheart._ That was a new one. Beth looks away, smiling to herself. She was falling so hard for this man, and she was enjoying every damn second of it. She'd never felt this way about anyone before, or fell so hard, so fast. Jimmy had been something she felt like she had to involve herself in. Being in high school, he was someone average. Nothing out of the ordinary. Her friends had thought they looked cute, so she told herself  _why the hell not?_ and went for it. 

It ended with her breaking his heart, and shortly after she moved to Brooklyn. What a terrific love story.

The thought of her with Rick had made her bite her lip. The world would view them as an abnormal couple, and God, what would  _Maggie_ think?

She hadn't even given much consideration as to what she would say to Maggie.  _His name is Rick, he's forty and a CEO of a ritzy company._ She'd probably laugh at her and tell her to spit out the truth and stop fooling around. Maggie had always been supportive of Jimmy, even though she poked fun of him every now and then. Beth laughed it off, and now she sees why. She could only imagine what she'd say about Rick, though.

As she stares out at city lights, holding his hand, she thinks: she's changed a lot since coming to the city. Her ambitions being wild and determined, her demeanor becoming more savvy. She's becoming a woman so quickly she can hardly recognize herself sometimes. This is what the city had done to her. 

Maybe it was the hard work she puts in. Audition after performance... shift after shift, sipping on her own coffees from time to time just to keep herself moving. 

And she owns it. Now she's got a job at an event that's going to have dozens of upper class people, all there to watch her sing. Among other things, of course, but in her eyes? She was there for them as they were for her. 

"We're almost there. I'll have Lance park the car in the garage and we can take the elevator up." He says in a low tone, finger tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

She turns to him, offering a smile and a nod. "Fancy."

He chuckles slightly, breathing out a laugh.

In reality, though, Beth had not been familiar with money. Growing up on a farm hadn't allotted much allowance. She worked as a babysitter in most cases and made small wages. Her father had worked hard for what they got, and that was final. She was proud of it but wished that she'd had the opportunity to have the nice things that came along with having money. 

 

They pull into a building, going up a ramp. She watches as they pass under a tunnel, before stopping. She looks forward, seeing a gate open and Lance pulling through. It was like a parking garage, just... private. For an apartment or something. A wealthy one, for sure. 

The car pulls up to an elevator and Rick thanks Lance before exiting the car. He takes Beth's hand, helping her out as heel meets the concrete. He shuts the door, and Lance drives off.

Rick pulls out his wallet, sliding out an ID. He flashes it on a sensor, and the light blinks green. Beth waits as she looks down the long corridor of emptiness. The car fades off behind a corner, and she swallows hard. 

The door opens and it's an elevator. Beth steps in before Rick, and looks at Rick with bubbly eyes.

"Which floor?"

Rick smirks slightly, and steps back. "Thirty."

"That high up?" Beth presses the button, lighting it up with the doors closing. "Really?"

Rick had been amused by her amazement in his extravagant lifestyle. "What?"

She rolls her eyes playfully. "Every guy I know lives on the thirtieth floor." She laughs, shaking her head slightly.

The rest of the ride is silent, and the elevator climbs slowly. She looks up, watching the numbers climb.  _15...22...26...30. Ding._

The doors opened, and it's a long hallway. Glossy floors and high ceilings, met with a view of the city on their right side. She takes a view, and gazes.

"Don't get up to the thirtieth floor often?" He asks, getting out his keys.

Beth nudges him slightly. "All the time. Don't you even know me?"

But the city — it looks  _so_ pretty up at this view. She's staring at the views and thinks of her own career. 

When she was little, she would spend hours in the kitchen with her mother. Helping her bake, clean, and making sure that the house was good for when Daddy came inside from a long, hard day's work on the fields. She had admired their relationship, and wanted to become a mother so badly. Someone who had a perfect life, a family, and all else, a good kitchen; like her play-set that her father had gotten her for Christmas in '98. 

What changed?

She grew up. She started singing, of which her mother had encouraged her to do, and she made aspirations for herself. Maggie went off to college and moved to the city with good reason. Her dream of being a mother had been smashed when her father had fell to pieces and her mother had passed. That was a child's dream she told herself. She was a woman, now.

"Come on, you were so eager to get here." Beth flashes a smile at Rick's words and follows him to the front door.

He gets out the card key, punching in a code to unlock the door. Beth's heart begins to race, and when the handle turns, she looks up to see what's inside.

 

Well, it was beautiful. She could tell that he was still moving in somewhat, as the walls were a tad empty and undecorated. She takes a step inside, and turns around the corner as she hears the door behind them stop. Dim lights from the living room, an open space with white couches and orange pillows. 

"Like what you see?" Rick asks, looking at Beth as she's got her mouth wide open. Beth looks over to him, and up to the windows that go from the floor to the ceiling. 

A hand brushes against the couch, before she looks out at the view — a near perfect view of lower Manhattan and the Empire State Building in one corner. She turns back around with a wide smile and nods. "The view... it's gorgeous,"

Rick takes off his jacket and hangs it in the coat closet, before walking to the kitchen area.

"I know I asked you before, and you're only nineteen, but —" Rick goes to the wine cabinet and pulls out a mahogany bottle and sets it on marble countertops. Beth begins to walk toward the kitchen to marvel at the set. "Did you want a drink? No cops in here to tell you no."

She raises an eyebrow, nodding. Red wine was divine in her eyes; Maggie had let her drink in the house and she'd always loved the bitter yet sweet taste. 

"I'd love a glass." Beth says as she looks at pristine white cabinets with stainless steel handles. 

This was nothing like her kitchen back at her house; growing up, or the one she had now. This was the polar opposite.

"So what, is your plan to get me drunk and feeling good?" Beth asks as she walks to his side of the counter and watches him pour the glass of wine. "Take me to the bedroom and tell me what a pretty girl I am? I know what you'd do,"

Rick's jaw tenses thinking about her, hearing those sensual words. He exhales softly, and finishes pouring the second glass. God, the sight of her like that... lips around his cock, looking up at him with submissive eyes and need. Or her on the edge of the bed, white dress riled up as she spreads her legs and he treats her like the lady she's been all night, kissing the inside of her thighs and letting her know what a good girl she's been.

Hand slides her the glass, and he gives her a serious look. "Mm," he says as he closes the space between them. "you want to see the bedroom next?"

She takes another step closer, practically on his foot when she leans up and kisses him. She's slow, giving him the attention she wants. She's blushing the whole time because this is all so new to her; being this in control. Fingers work at his buttons on his shirt, careful to undo each one with precision. She could only imagine what kind of money this shirt had cost him.

"Take me there." She whispers between kisses.

Rick steps back, taking her hand into his and guiding her down the hall to the bedroom. It begins to get darker and darker until a sensor must have kicked in, turning on a light. Air conditioning creates goosebumps on her skin, and only highlights the passion that's going on between her legs right now. The want and desire. 

He opens the bedroom door and reveals a large room; tall ceilings with a fan swirling above them, big windows that had a dimming effect, and stone walls that were finely constructed. King size bed with plush linens, Beth realizes what a shit show her own bedroom was compared to his.

"Rick," she breathes out as she begins to walk closer toward the bed, hand reaching out to touch the sheets.

He closes the door behind them and looks over at her as she kicks off heels. "Yes?"

"Take my dress off," now desire was beginning to take over. "I want you to fuck me in this bed."

Rick kicks off his own shoes, and it's like a fast-paced action: he's got arms wrapped around her, unzipping the dress and she's working at his belt and shirt, lips connected with fierce passion.

She marvels at his boxers, as they cling to his skin; outlining every single detail. And she's got soft, black panties on that she was sure would be soaked by now. She looks up at him and breaks away from the kiss, lowering herself down before him. 

This was a man that had power. He had money, sure, but that was just a symbol of what else he had. He was the CEO of a multi-million dollar company. A business tycoon that had known the game in and out. He had the power of thousands in his hands, and now she was at his throne, begging. And he was older. He wasn't  _old,_ but he wasn't young either. She looks up at him with eyes that want to give. School girl blush on her cheeks, displaying a shade of rose.

"Just like this, daddy?" her voice is soft, submissive and full of want. What had come over her was something she was unaware of.

But Rick's looking down into those wide eyes staring up at him, watching as she fondles his member; blood racing to expand his length. And then the words she's using... 

"Just like that."

She smirks, and pulls down the elastic to his ankles where he steps out of the fabric pooled at his ankles. She stares at his cock, seeing it expand before her eyes. And she goes to work.

_Just like that._


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some of you are surprised in how the last chapter ended, but I'm following the tags I put when I first made this story. I promised it, now I gotta deliver. Hope you enjoy it!

She wasn't sure quite how it all happened, but it had. She can recall everything clearly, not being influenced by anything other than the driving passion between her legs. 

She hadn't drank anything, other than the few sips of wine and his drink at the restaurant. She wasn't on any medication. And she knows Rick wouldn't slip her anything. If he had, she was sure she wouldn't be feeling  _this_ good the next morning. 

She rolls over in the bed that she's sleeping in, glancing over to a large digital clock on the nightstand. She rolls onto her back again, looking up at the circulating ceiling fan. He's not here. Hasn't been for a while, either; his side of the bed is cool and blank.

That's when the feelings of... regret? No, not regret. Rather... curiosity. That's when the feelings of curiosity step in. All the things she had said to him had made her question some things. It just... came out.

_Daddy._

A word of dominance and power. She never had much interest in using that before; could you imagine her calling Jimmy "daddy"? She was pretty sure that she'd have to laugh before she said it.

But Rick, he drew it out of her. The way he looked at her, the way he talked to her, and the vibe he'd given off. She began to get into the swing of things. She'd let her core do the talking, pushing herself into a rhythm. And God, did it lead to the best sex she'd ever had.

Fingers scrunch up the thick sheet she'd been sleeping under. She slowly slides it off of her body, exposing it to the chill of the apartment. The curtains dim the light that tries to enter the large windows, and boy is she thankful for that. But when she opens the door to the hallway, she's hit with light from those big windows in the living room reflecting off white walls.

"Rick?" She calls out, wondering if he was even home. 

No answer.

She opens the door wider, and walks down the hall to the open area. Eyes look out to the city, seeing it shrouded in rain. She yawns slightly, walking to the kitchen area for a glass of water. Her throat was sore, and she knew it was because of one reason only.

There's a note on the counter, though. Pad of paper with pen glided across it.

_Good morning beautiful, had to go to the office for a few things. The restaurant in the lobby does room service if you want anything. If you need a ride home, Lance's number is on a business card in my top drawer next to the bed. Hope we can get together again soon, princess._

She feels herself blush at the note and smile, setting the note back down onto the counter. She looks to where she'd set her belongings down the night before, on the dining room. She walks over to her phone to see a few texts. One from Maggie, fifteen minutes ago.  _She must have just gotten home,_ Beth thinks. Sure enough, the text asks, "where are you??" and Beth opens it to respond.

She hits send, creating some excuse that she had gotten called in for work. If Maggie put two and two together, she'd realize that Beth never used her phone at work unless she was on her break. Beth tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, opening the next text. Immediately, from how it started, she curses to herself. And then Maggie texts back, nearly immediately, "Did dad text you too?".

_Hey Pumpkin, it's your daddy._

She blinks at the word, and knows she can't call him that anymore. Not after last night.

_I know we haven't talked since you left to live with your sister, but I'm sober now and trying to get back on track to make up for all the lost time. I hope you've been well and that singing career you kept talking about is going good. I'd love to have you come up for a weekend. Love, daddy._

She curses mentally, again, sitting down on one of Rick's dining room chairs. Her stomach is turning in all directions and she goes to text Maggie back.

"Just read it... what did he say to you??" 

_He said he wants to make up for lost time. What does that mean?_

"He told me he wants me to come up to the farm for a weekend."

_I didn't get anything like that. Just told me he wished I was doing well._

"What do I even say?"

_Come home before you respond it, we need to talk about this together._

"Okay. I'm not sure when I'm getting out of work."

She puts her phone down and runs a hand through her hair, forgetting where she was for a second. She looks up at tall ceilings, huge windows and expensive art on the walls. Eyes move to the hardwood floors beneath her, and she stands up. She needs to get back home to talk about this. How the hell was she supposed to deal with this right now? Sure, she was at a good point but... she had no room for her father's life that had been a burden on her for the past few years. That's the whole reason why she moved to the city, along with the purpose of chasing her dreams.

Beth goes to his room and opens the top drawer. In the corner, a small, purple business card displays Lance's number and she sets it onto the bedside table.

She puts on the dress that she'd worn the night before and goes to the bathroom to fix her appearance up a little bit before returning with her phone. She's sure to send Rick a text, brief and quick to thank him for everything once more.  _Though she thought she did a good job of that the night before_.

 

Lance is swift in picking her up, and when she offers to give him a tip, he refuses.  _This was a good man,_ Beth thought to herself as she steps out into chilled Brooklyn air. She looks up at her apartment building, climbing the steps to the front doors. That's when she realizes that she's going to be walking through the door with a dress on, not an apron and a coffee-stained tee. Oh well.

Immediately as she walks in, Maggie is sitting there in her plaid pajama pants, coffee in hand as she reads something on her phone with her glasses. She looks up at Beth, confused as to why she'd walked in with a dress.

"I, uh—" Beth avoids her gaze and sets her purse down on the table, before glancing up at Maggie. "—long story." She moves to her room to change into something more comfortable.

Maggie nods slowly before jumping off the couch and walking to Beth's door and opening her texts.

"It was so out of the blue, Beth," Maggie says in awe as she leans against the outer frame of the door. "Why now? Why is he trying to talk to us after all this time?"

Beth pulls out her pajama tee, sweats and comfy socks. 

"And he didn't ask you to come up for a weekend?" Beth asks as she pulls on the tee.

Maggie reads through the text one last time. "No, he didn't!" she exclaims. 

Beth opens the door after pulling on the sweats. "I don't even know how to respond to him. Do I respond to him?"

Maggie looks up from her phone. "I..." she begins, before shrugging lightly. "It's up to you."

Beth looks into her older sister's eyes and sighs. The air is filled with a autumn spice from coffee grinds made previously in the morning. She must have gotten home fairly early, then.

The apartment is quiet as the two girls take a second to mull over everything that's been going on. Beth pulls her hair back into a more loose ponytail, and sighs. This wasn't going to go away, either. What had they been thinking? They could just move out from under their father?  _Well, it had worked out great so far._ But he was their dad.

"I think we can't let this just go unnoticed." Beth says, quiet, as she eyes her sister.

Maggie nods slowly, knowing that Beth was right. Maggie had been proud and bold ever since she moved out; she hadn't done it with any of her father's help, and hadn't needed his help yet either. She was independent, no thanks to him.

"I'm not doing this alone, though," Beth says as she leans against wooden door frame, seeing Maggie look into her eyes.

_Woah, too far._

"I'm not giving him anything." Maggie says with a half-offended face, before Beth shakes her head.

"Then you do it for  _me_ ," Beth fixes her pose and crosses arms. "And mom."

There's a look as Beth speaks of their mother, and Maggie looks down. Their mother had been a gracious lady who deserved the world. Their father, a bold and classic man had too, but the alcoholism had driven them to shreds. 

"Fine." Maggie is reluctant, and she can taste the bitterness in her own attitude but dammit—this was going to be tough. 

Beth half smiles, looking into her sisters eyes before embracing her tightly. Maggie wraps her arms around Beth and smiles. They would be there for each other; as sisters.

 

The day's carried on and by luck, Beth actually  _does_ get called into work. She groans as she has to get up from her bed, the warmth and comfort calling her back as she undresses to shower.

But she puts on her grind face, and goes to the coffeehouse with a smile. Each customer, their ridiculous requests, and all. It's a distraction, almost—she didn't have to think of her father when she was helping customers. Her father was not her concern in that moment. Maybe that's why she'd worked herself endlessly in the city.

Pumpkin spice was full blown right now, and the new guy had dropped the shaker on the floor, spilling the orange dust everywhere. She curses under her breath and shoots him a glare before going out back to refill the shaker. 

As she walks out back, converse shoes leaving footprints of the spice on the floor, she whips out her phone. She had yet to respond to her father, and sees a text from Rick right above the message. 

_What's going on tonight for you? Wine and dinner at my place if you're free. Let me know._

Beth feels the butterflies flutter in her stomach all over again and a tint of blush on her cheeks. She reaches into the stock to grab another shaker of the spice, before setting it down onto the table in front of her.

_I'm at work until 9. Wait up for me?_

She presses send and goes right back to the never-ending bustle behind the desk. Now she'd just have to think of what she'd tell Rick.

 

Hours pass, and when she's off her shift she texts Maggie. She figures that her sister should at least know why she's not coming home right after her shift. She can deal with the older sister ridicule later.

Lance picks her up from work, as she'd called him asking if he'd minded. Rick was home, so she knew he wouldn't be out. He agrees and is there within ten. 

Beth's quiet in the car, though. She stares out at city lights, watching those on the sidewalk and wishing she were them. Just for a moment. Maybe their father hadn't been alcoholic and toxic. Maybe. But her mind drifts off for a second and she begins to think about Rick. She smiles without even thinking about it, and feels a warmth inside of her. She recalls the night before; rough, dominating and crazy. She had never been touched like that before. 

Spanked, hair pulled, told what to do like that. She submitted herself to him and he claimed her. But it was what happened after that had made her swoon.

After they had turned in for the night, she lays looking at the large window in the room to see blurred city lights. And his arm tucks her into him, pulling her into a spoon. A kiss on her neck, with his scruff scratching her slightly. She hadn't slept that good in months... if at all.

Beth huffs out a sigh, coming back to reality and looking at Lance through the opening between the backseat and the front. She licks her lips, before sitting up slightly.

"Lance," she begins, crossing her legs and leaning forward a little. "Can I ask you something?"

Lance looks back in the mirror, and nods. "Of course."

Beth smiles slightly. So complying. "If you were in a situation where a loved one had hurt you," she pauses, thinking of how to word it. "And you left them because you had enough. But they reached out to you, and you're not sure how much they have changed... would you go back to them?"

The car is quiet for a second before the humming slows, coming to a stop. Red light.

"Previous boyfriend?" Lance questions.

Beth's eyes widen slightly and she shakes her head. "Oh, uh,"

"—I don't judge. I've heard many things from people." Lance quickly adds.

Beth breathes out a laugh and shakes her head once more. "No. Family member."

Lance nods once more. "Ah, the one family member," he presses down on the gas as soon as the light turns green. "That's a hard one. Regardless, if you call them a loved one, you still care enough to love them. So that means you should see just how much they've changed."

Beth toys with her fingers, and nods slowly. "Good advice."

"Thanks, I should do professional advice sessions on the weekends." Lance laughs slightly before Beth gives a small chuckle. They pull into the garage to Rick's apartment and she leans back into the seat.

 

Upstairs, she knocks on Rick's door to which he answers in a very casual attire. She's still got her work uniform on, and sees his... pajamas? She yearns for her own. 

"Hey." Beth gives him a smile, fluttering her eyes slightly as she looks up into his eyes.

He opens the door a little wider, allowing her to walk in. She kicks off her shoes (which by now are covered completely in pumpkin spice) and he moves to the kitchen. There's a paper bag on the counter, wine bottle next to it in ice with two glasses beside it. She walks over and smiles at the wine, inhaling what smelled to be like a dinner. She felt herself groan internally at the smell. God, had she been hungry.

"I got you a New York Strip," Rick pulls out a container. "Remembered that you like your meat well done."

Beth feels her mouth begin to water as Rick takes the top off, and she nearly groans aloud.

"Came with potato and asparagus too." He pulls out another container. "And I picked up some good wine for us,"

She sits at the bar, looking at the food before looking to Rick. She realizes that she'd been quiet and he's beginning to give her weird looks. She quickly forces a smile, looking into his eyes. "It looks so good, Rick," she says as she toys with fingers again. She had always done that when she had a lot on her mind.

"Is everything okay?" Rick asks, studying her features. She wasn't the same tonight and he hopes it hadn't been anything to do with the night before. After all, she was young — inexperienced in the world of love. He wanted to make sure this was the right pace for her.

Beth nods, before losing contact with him. She looks down at the food and sighs slightly. "It's been... a  _day_."

Rick walks closer and tucks a strand of her pale golden hair behind an ear, before caressing her cheek. "Talk about it."

She knows that she hadn't talked about her father at all to him. Hell, she hadn't really given much insight to her past. And he hadn't either. It was almost as if this was a fresh start for both of them. They were together to make a better future.

"You shouldn't have to hear my problems," Beth laughs quietly and shakes her head. "I came here for dinner and wine."

Rick is serious in the way he looks at Beth, shaking his head. "Then discuss it over dinner and wine." He grabs the wine bottle, unscrewing the cork before pouring a glass for her.

She smiles at Rick; so tender and caring. She remembers the first night out with him; how he refused to let her walk to the subway and take that home. Such a gentleman that showed compassion and care. She watches as the red liquid fills the glass, slowly rising as more pours out of the bottle. She nods when it's full enough for her, and he stops. He knows when to stop.

She takes the glass, lips meeting the brim and sipping the bitter juice. She welcomes the tart taste and watches as he unfolds the boxes. He steps away to go to the cupboard, grabbing two plates. Pristine glass, and modern white appeal to the set is noticed as she runs a hand through long hair. She knows she smells of coffee, but she wasn't in the mood to really care.

He begins to take the food that's packaged so neatly and scoop it onto the plate. That's when a spoon is full of the fluffy mashed potato, he raises it to her and she opens her mouth. She's slow, taking in the spoon and using her lips to keep the food as he slowly slides the spoon out. The taste dances around on her taste buds, and she closes her eyes to enhance the bliss she's tasting. 

"So good..." she mumbles, and Rick gives her a smile.

He takes a knife, putting cutting her steak for her. "Best steakhouse in Manhattan."

She swallows, and she craves more. But she watches as he cuts the steak, slightly pink center starting to show.

"So...?" Rick pauses, looking up at Beth as if to give her a nudge. 

Beth rolls her eyes slightly, looking down at the meat and knowing it was time to tell. If he really wanted to hear about them, she would oblige. She crosses her legs, black skinny jeans hugging her thighs. 

She looks at him, big eyes as if to beg that she could keep quiet. But she knows Rick won't let her. "I know I haven't told you any of this," she starts off and huffs a small sigh. "My dad is an alcoholic. Or, was. I'm not really sure."

Rick looks at her with an expression as if he's listening.  _And she knows he is._

"He's the reason I moved to the city. I wanted to chase my singing dreams, but I also wanted to get out of his house." Beth looks into his eyes. "I live with my sister, Maggie. I moved in with her once I had enough of him. I had to get out."

Rick pulls up a barstool, sitting and pushing the plate with cut up meat her way. The potato on one side, asparagus occupying a space next to the meat. Her mouth practically watered.

She grabs the fork next to the bags. "This morning, after I read your note, I got a text from him." She admits and mixes around her potato. "I haven't spoken to him since I'd left."

"What did he say?" Rick asks, scooping food onto his own plate.

Beth looks up to him. "He wants me to visit him for a weekend. My sister, too. He wants to 'make things right' or something like that."

Rick tosses the takeout box into the big bag that held them, and takes a napkin to wipe his fingers. "What did you say to that?"

"I didn't say anything to that. I need to text him back." Beth looks at him with saddened eyes. "I just don't know what to do."

Rick looks at her and grabs his own fork. "Well, what do you  _feel_ like doing?" She takes a sip of the wine.

 _I feel like curling up in my bed and never leaving my bedroom again._ That's what she felt like. 

"I don't know. Maggie and I talked, and we're thinking about taking him up on his offer." She takes a bite of the potato again.

Instant bliss, and a moment of silence. 

"I've been pondering this all day." She admits to him and puts her fork down. The food looked delicious, but this had just made her lose her appetite. "If I go back, I don't want to be disappointed. And I don't want to face him either."

The heavy feeling in the room is enough to make him know this is taxing on her. Her mood was usually vibrant and glowing. She was a 'Star Doll' in his eyes. She thrived off others and their emotion; any applause and good vibes. The feel-good feelings that were in the room had made her so bubbly. But she was drained of that, now.

Now? She looked dismal and bleak. Pale and drained.

"I'll go with you." He says, and it takes her a second to look up — but she does.

 _What?_ Was this man crazy? Beth had owed Rick a great deal already, and here he is again, offering his heart and soul.

"Rick, you don't have to—"

"—But I  _want_ to," he coos to her and reaches out, covering her shoulder with his palm. "You're going through a lot and I want to be there for you."

Beth's eyes stare at him, tears beginning to form. She realizes throughout the whole day she hadn't cried. Maybe that's why she had so much emotion building inside of her, with no escape. She does her absolute best not to cry; she doesn't want Rick to see her cry, and she looks away from him. He stands, and embraces her before she digs her face into his chest. 

"Hey, now," Rick rubs a hand across her back as she holds back sobs. 

She inhales, smelling the scent of him. God, he smelled good. He smelt pure and like home. Fingers take grip of his gray tee, and that's when he feels herself being guided toward the hallway. The same hallway that, not even 24 hours ago she was walking down with such braveness and power. Now she felt weak and small. Damn her father. But she feels Rick's hands do the work; takes out the tie that'd held her hair in, fingers undo the button on her jeans before sliding them off, and grip her shirt to pull over her head. He takes her phone, placing it onto the bedside table.

"Lay down." He orders as the lights are dim in his room, curtain pulled to hide them from the city.

She follows his command, and he pulls back the comforter revealing the sheets. She climbs inside and he covers her. He leans down, pressing a kiss to her cheek and she runs a hand over his beard, hair scratching her palm.

No words as he takes off his own shirt, before climbing into the bed beside her, holding her tightly to him. She rolls over, digging herself in his chest once more. She finds solace, pressing a palm against his chest as he closes his own eyes. 

This was all she needed right now. The man she had been falling for.

Oh,  _shit_. Realization that she'd already fallen in love hits her, and she's okay with that. Because she couldn't have fallen in love with a better man.


	6. Chapter 6

_A simple vase_. Her grandmother had made it on her trip to India, eons back. Somehow it'd ended up in Rick's belongings and Lori had noticed it right away upon moving from their old loft.

Lori had adored the vase, as her grandmother passed years ago. It was the one belonging that she'd kept close to her. So naturally, she had to come claim it. Rick had confirmed he had it. They were ready to fight each other, tooth and nail, in this divorce—but they were still civil on some level. 

Lori shows up, with Rick riding the elevator down to the lobby to let her in. Rick's face remains neutral as he greets her, which she looks into his eyes with a slight smile. She's casual, today. White pants worn high, and a black blouse. 

Rick would admit any day: his ex-wife was beautiful. He would always think that. 

"It's a beautiful vase." Rick comments as they walk to the elevator.

Lori follows, nodding. "She was a great artist, my grandmother. I can see why you snatched it, but I'm gonna need it back." There's a joking tone to her voice.

 _Honest_. He hadn't; the movers mixed it up. 

"Right." Rick said, pressing the elevator for his floor. 

She stands on the opposite side, looking at Rick. She studies him, eyeing his sharp look. Today must have been something to do with business, with the sharp suit he's wearing.

But the rest of the ride is silent, and when she walks into the apartment she looks around and clings to her purse. Heels make a  _click_ sound echo throughout the loft.

"Wow. I like what you've done with the place." Lori says as Rick stands by the door. She looks up at the high windows, gawking. "Did you hire Amy to style it? She did a great job with the Malibu house."

"No." Rick's quiet, before pushing forward and walking past Lori. He walks directly down the hallway, and she follows; the click of the heels is all he needs to hear it. 

His room is well-lit, large window there revealing the sunlight. She looks around, spying and getting a good look at what Carl would be staying at someday. For a weekend. Or maybe just a day. 

"In all honesty, Rick," she looks out the large window, before turning to him. "I do like this place. Spare bedroom for Carl?"

Rick gives a nod over to the hallway. "Third door down. I did have Amy send me a package of those sheets that we found in Italy."

"Oh, good taste," she marvels. She turns around to the bed and sees a suitcase open on the large mattress. "Where's work calling you off to now?" Clothes had started to fill the box. "You  _do_ remember that we have a meeting this weekend, right? My lawyer wants to go over terms with yours."

Rick pulls out a box from under the bed and places it onto the other side of the bed. "I wanted to talk to you about that,"

"Rick, you know these meetings are placed around my work schedule." She starts, looking into his eyes. "You've got more power over flexibility than I do."

"Something came up." Rick's quiet, finger tugging at tape on the box from the bed. "We can reschedule."

"Divorce is a long process. I get it, but let's get it over with so we can just... _move on_ ," Lori sighs as she'd started to feel her anger tick up. She walks to the other side of the bed, before shooing his hands away from the box. "I can take it just like this." She says, taking the box before eyeing the suitcase.

White-laced panties sit upon his toiletries bag, folded neatly. She places the box down, pointing to the pair. "Oh," she speaks out with a breath. "So you've started taking your mistresses out on trips with you since the divorce?"

"Lori—"

She raises a hand at him. "You've got to be kidding me, Rick," she starts as she raises her voice. She had promised herself she wouldn't get angry but this had thrown her over the edge. Maybe it was jealousy or just some anger left over from their last fight in the office. "Where  _are_ you going? Don't tell me that I'd open that bag underneath it and find a pack of condoms? Seriously Rick, what the hell is up with you?"

"It's not a  _mistress_ ," his tone is firm and direct. "It's not like that."

"Oh, you're dating—you're dating someone?" Her eyes are wide as she clasps palms together. "This isn't jealousy Rick, let me be _clear_ , it's me wondering where the whore I was married to has gone off to?"

Rick eyes her with anger now, and shakes his head. "Our marriage crippled me," he admits looking into her eyes. "You pushed me away so far that I—I had no direction!"

"Excuses," she mutters as she takes the box into her arms once more. "And what, she can't be older than 30 according to those panties. What, is it some young girl that likes shiny things and sweet nothings?"

Silence.

"When were you going to tell me this? Before I let Carl come over here for a weekend?" Lori barks, thinking of their child.

"You can't tell me you've seen no one since you left?" Rick asks, voice raised too. 

Lori laughs out of anger and shakes her head. "No! And if I had, I would've told you out of respect because you are the father of my child." 

Rick stares at Lori, knowing that he should have mentioned something. He knows that she's somewhat right but his pride gets in the way. He breathes in, and out. 

"Everything I do is not your business." He huffs out, and Lori laughs once more.

"Oh honey, I knew that during our marriage when you would come home at ungodly hours smelling like a another woman's perfume." Lori's words are cold and bitter, as she looks down at the ground. "I'm glad that you're turning over a new leaf from your recent actions. Relationship looks good on you."

Rick eyes her intensely. 

"What, did you meet her on one of your trips? You've got me curious and a  _bit_ jealous now," she asks in a lower tone.

Their relationship had gone from explosive fight to calm sea waters in seconds.  _Now he remembers clearly why he'd signed off on the divorce papers_.

"Coffee house." Rick looks down, before looking back up. "Take the vase and go." 

Lori raises an eyebrow. "Not so fast. If Carl's going to be staying here someday, I want to know who she is." Lori's quiet for a moment as Rick stares. "Coffee house. How old is she?"

Rick bites his tongue.  _Nineteen_ _but you'd never guess it with how she'd sucked his cock._ Lori blinks once as Rick hesitates to answer.

"Young." Rick mumbles, looking at Lori with stern eyes.

Lori blinks once more. "Young is a range of ages, not an age."

"Nineteen." Rick says before she can even finish her first sentence. Lori's jaw drops, looking at Rick before laughing. 

Rick feels embarrassed somewhat, before remembering  _who_ the nineteen year old was. How mature she was. The aspirations and goals she held. She wasn't some college girl that was partying until dawn, she was working until dawn. She was five years ahead of every eighteen year old.

"So," Lori starts. "Six years older than our son. Not even old enough to _drink,_ "

Rick licks his lips. "Still old enough to understand me. Something you failed to do, even with our fifteen years of marriage."

Lori shoots him a cold look. "It's funny, Rick," she picks up the box. "You get off the hook with our marriage and go straight to some nineteen year old's pussy. Speaks volumes about the kind of man you are."

The words are dripping with venom, fangs revealing themselves as the two fight once more. She turns to walk away, before stopping. She hadn't had a decent conversation with him that didn't end with him cursing her out and her walking away in a long time. 

She stops, inhaling and looking out to the sky. She takes a breath in and takes a moment to analyze everything that had just happened. 

Her husband was dating a nineteen year old, right at the end of their marriage. Of course, she had been talking with another man who had been making a space in her heart — his name was Shane, a lawyer from Midtown. Not  _her_ lawyer, but she had met him through a mutual friend at work. Nothing serious had happened, not even a date yet. But she's hopeful.

"What was it?" She asks, still facing the window.

Rick takes a step forward, still angered by the previous moments. God, how Lori drove him to this point of rage. Every single conversation they held had been filled with anger and hatred for one another, whether it had been what they thought, what they did, or what they planned to do.

Take the house in Malibu?  _You're a fucking bitch, Lori._

Move Carl nearly an hour away?  _Wretched bitch._

Try to take custody of him?  _Bitch. Bitch. Bitch._

He raises an eyebrow at her question, seemingly an open question. 

"What made you feel pushed away?" She looks over her shoulder, but not at him. How could she look at him right now?

The room is quiet. If a feather were to fall from the ceiling, gliding down and crashing into carpet it would actually make a distinguished noise.

And Rick thinks back to the days of their marriage. _Where had they gone wrong?_ It was a question that still circles his mind every now and then. Even now, after their marriage was pronounced dead the day she announced she was taking Carl—he still ponders the question. It's a loaded question. His mind drifts back to long work days, where he'd be exhausted beyond belief. Some asshole boss with a phony degree had rode his ass all day and drove Rick to the point of insanity. Lori would be at work, and Rick would go to bed alone.

Lori would push herself to the point of exhaustion, taking shit from the head of the department. How she wanted to  _strangle_ the head of her department. The two had always differed in there approach to treatment, and when patients would slip away it was an all-out war between the two. But when she comes home, duties stacked from her job as a mother, Rick would be either at a conference or working late at the office.

 _Don't wait up, I'll be home sometime in the morning._ It was a text she was so used to getting that she could just read the first two words and put her phone down. 

Anniversaries, holidays, and family events had began to feel hollow and lost. Almost arranged. With his new position at work he's busy so much that the two never spent time together.

He looks at her and feels love, but expressing it? He doesn't feel the motivation from the love. Just the familiarity. 

And then there was the intern at his work who had sucked him off in his office. He requested to be private that afternoon to catch up on work, but she had 'wandered in' from the bustle of the office. Rick looks up from papers and tight skirt and cleavage had made him lose all concentration. She places the papers on his desk and requests just one more thing before she gets goes on the coffee run for the afternoon.

He hadn't told Lori. There was no need to, or even the opportunity. They had become strangers almost. Communication between them was bare and minimal. 

Until she confronts him one night, shoving divorce papers into his chest.

_You cheating bastard._

"Somewhere we..." Rick's voice drifts off. "We got so caught up in our career that we weren't caught up in each other anymore."

His response is sincere. Not half-assed, or one crafted to make her blood boil. It's the  **truth**. 

Lori looks down at the box in her hands and feels herself hit with tears. She looks away from Rick, shifting the box to one arm and using the other to wipe away a tear that had formed in the corner of her eye. God, was that the truth. 

"Every night I thought," she wipes another tear. "I thought you'd come home to talk about us. Carl would be in bed or, I'd be in bed... maybe you'd wake me up and just  _talk_."

Rick's silent as he looks at his wife. He looks down at the carpet, avoiding any kind of contact with his ex wife.

"You'd tell me everything and just come clean. I tried so long to just... forgive whatever you'd say to me." She breathes. A moment of silence. "Just so we could continue whatever dance we did."

She turns to Rick, eyes watery but she's not crying. She had done enough of that these past few years in solitary. "If it is serious,"

Rick looks up at her again. She's got a haunted expression on her face like she's weathering types of pain and agony. 

"Rick you better talk to her. Let her know how you feel and... let her tell you how she feels.  _Communicate_. For whatever it's worth." Silence. "I'll let you know what time next weekend."

He blinks at her before she shifts the box and wipes the watery eyes once more, before walking out of the bedroom. Rick doesn't follow. He just listens, sound of heels hitting hardwood getting farther away. And the door opens, and shuts sending an echo throughout the apartment.

He throws his head back, looking up at ceilings and closing his eyes to exhale.  _Now,_ he needed a drink.

 

Beth had finally opened up about Rick to Maggie, especially after she informed her that he would be making the weekend travel to their childhood home. Maggie hadn't thought to ask Jason if he'd wanted to accompany her on this trip, but Maggie isn't entirely sure that she'd even want him there. And Beth isn't even sure how her father will react to an older man dating a nineteen year old.

In his eyes, he'd see his baby girl running off to the big city to find her wearing more risqué clothing and dating a man over twice her age. Not exactly the best for mending a broken relationship.

It's the day before they depart for the trip to upstate; Rick had arranged it with Lance to take them, seeing as Maggie and Beth relied on New York's public transportation rather than worrying to buy a car. With the congestion of New York traffic, it would be impossible to get to anything on time. Rick? Rick didn't worry about times. Rick  _set_ the times for his meetings, and planned accordingly.

When Rick arrives to meet Maggie, he climbs the steps of the older apartment to get to Beth's floor. Three distinct knocks are made, and Rick hears a shuffling inside. That's when Beth opens the door, seeing Rick standing there in his "casual" attire — dark jeans and a plaid shirt, hair like normal. Rick flashes Beth a smile and she opens the door wider to welcome him into the apartment.

"Maggie!" Beth raises her voice enough for Maggie to hear her, and Maggie quickly steps out of her room, looking at Rick.

She's got her hair in a ponytail, glasses and jeans on with a simple blouse. She walks out with a smile before actually  _looking_ at Rick.

_How old was he?_

That was the first question that floats through Maggie's head as her smile drifts from gleaming to dim. Beth's smiling, and Maggie doesn't want to ruin the moment so immediately she sticks out her hand for Rick to shake.

"I'm Maggie, uh, Beth's sister." His hand extends to shake it, and he gives her a nod.

Beth watches as Rick smiles back and breathes a laugh. "Rick Grimes."

The room is silent as the two stare at each other, Maggie thinking about his age and how the hell Beth had met him exactly. She was out at odd hours...

"I've been seeing Rick for about a month now," Beth says to Maggie as if to fill her in on all the blanks. 

Maggie looks back to Beth and nods. "Well, coffee anyone?" Maggie says as she walks to the kitchen area to get out of the awkward triangle between the three of them.

"Oh, so you both make coffee," Rick chuckles as he turns to watch as Maggie moves to the kitchen. "You're not a fan of the wretched pumpkin spice, are you?"

_That's how they met._

"Oh, stop it," Beth swats and walks to the kitchen table to sit down. 

Rick chuckles and Maggie glances over. "I'm afraid I am."

Rick looks to Beth with a disgusted face and Beth can't help but chuckle softly as he made the expression. 

 

The rest of the afternoon is easy-going, as rain showers had moved in. Maggie hammers Rick with questions, doing her act as an older sister to make sure this guy wasn't a creep. Naturally, Maggie hadn't believed Rick when he announced he was the CEO of a company. Something  _Blah Blah Inc._ that she couldn't care to remember the name, but she believes him. As Maggie finds out more about him, she seems more at ease. Beth takes a load off her shoulders when she realizes that Maggie actually  _likes_ Rick. Hell, he was handsome. She'd give Beth that in a heart beat. It was just hard to wrap her mind around Beth dating a  _man_. Not a boy, like Jimmy back home. Whenever Maggie would come home, she'd poke fun of Beth because of how goofy Jimmy had been. Part of her wished that Beth would dump him for someone else—but she was supportive nonetheless.

Somehow they end up in Beth's room, and Rick's helping her pack. It's a small suitcase; enough for a few pairs of pants, shirts, and her toiletries that she'd bring along with her. Beth assumes she'll be staying in her room that she had before she left.

She thinks back to the time before she had left. The one night that had pushed her over her limit. 

**_SLAM!_ **

_The screen door clashes with the door frame as she enters the house, through the kitchen entrance, which is seemingly empty. That is until she notices an empty bottle of liquor on the kitchen table with a flask tipped over, nothing leaking out._

_She was exhausted from her babysitting that day, the parents showing up late. She'd stayed an extra two hours with the three children, and every moment was unbearable. The kids had made a mess of the house, a mess of themselves, and made her a mess mentally. She says a quick prayer when they begin to doze off, having early bed times. Beth uses that time left to clean up whatever she can for when the parents come home. But even then, the parents had questioned what went on. She explains, and though they don't seem too happy, they pay her regardless. Asshole father didn't pay her for the extra time she spent, though._

_As Beth makes her way to the living room, she looks around. All the lights were on, but no one to be heard._

_"Daddy?" Beth asks aloud, before hearing a crash upstairs._

_Beth races to the steps, climbing each one in sets of twos before seeing her father in his room. She runs to the doorway before observing the room; jewelry scattered across the room, her mother's clothing here and there, a picture frame smashed and the white wedding gown that Beth had dreamed of wearing sitting in the middle of the bed with a glass on the center of it, tipped over and spilled out. The brown stain is set in, and that's when Beth can see shattered glass on the floor._

_Eyes look at her father as he glares at her, before gripping the doorknob and slamming the door shut._

_She doesn't know what to do. She's had it with him, she's exhausted and torn all at the same time. She's devastated. The young blonde quickly dials the only thing she could think of helping the situation. Her phone connects her to the town's police, and they arrive within minutes.  Beth explains the situation to a cop as they begin to make their way into the house. She's assuring them that her father really is a good man but just a dumb drunk._

_They haul him off for the night, shoving him into the back of the police car. They explain to Beth that they will look after him for the night, which ultimately meant putting him in a cell and making sure he sobered up. Beth nods, just wanting to be left alone. She's got dried tears on her cheeks whilst making new ones, watching the last cop drive off into the dark night. She walks back into the house, locking doors and cleaning up the mess her father had made._

_The dress had been stained, reeking of liquor and dust. Her mother's jewelry was placed back into its box and she sweeps up the broken glass from the picture frame that had been smashed._

_As she finishes, she looks at the clock in her bedroom to see it read 3:12 AM. She collapses onto her bed, face tired with dried tears, before gathering the energy to call Maggie._

_She was done._

Hands toy with a shirt, folding it as Rick goes through her drawers holding up possible options. He was very helpful in this process, until Beth snaps back to reality when he clears his throat. 

He's got a pair of panties in his hands, which Beth quickly snatches. 

"Pervert," she chuckles lowly and he snorts.

There's a moment of silence before he pulls out a pair of white panties. Beth doesn't even realize it at first, before looking over to see Rick marvel at the lace. 

"You've gotta be kidding me." Beth shakes her head and rolls up a t-shirt before stuffing it into her suitcase. Rick then brings the lace to her, placing atop of the rolled clothing. "Rick,"

"Come on, _princess_ ," his voice is low as he then places a hand over her hip, pulling her ass to his crotch. Beth's eyes widen at the sensation and she doesn't resist his pull. Why would she?

Her mind drifts back to the moment, not thinking about her father or the past. She's living in the moment.

"Thin walls," Beth breathes out and moves her behind slightly as she feels his grip move toward the curve of her ass. God, she couldn't imagine having the sex they had just nights before in this room with Maggie home. She'd get a third degree the next morning if Maggie didn't interrupt them to tell them to be quiet first. Beth focuses on his hand gripping her ass.

She doesn't have a giant ass, or even giant breasts. She'd been insecure through high school, but began to accept her body. Rick, though, had appreciated it from day one. Her petite figure had made him feel strong and dominating. Of course, the way she complied with him had always helped too.

"Wear them. For me." Rick's breath is hot on her ear, as she falls back into his chest and grins as he holds out the panties for her. She takes the panties and makes her way to the bathroom before shutting the door. 

 As soon as the bathroom door clicks, Maggie knocks on the doorframe and leans against the wooden fixture. Rick turns, shirt in his hand as he places it in her suitcase.

"Hey," Rick says as he offers a small smile to the woman.

Maggie returns the gesture and smiles back. "Hey." She glances to the bathroom door, before back to Rick. "You two up for a movie? I've had a glass of wine or two myself, and could use a good movie."

Rick shrugs, nodding.  _He had other plans for him and Beth that night, but he didn't want to be rude._

"I am. I think she's almost done packing." Rick says as he looks down at the open suitcase, and back up to Maggie.

"Great, I'll get find us one on Netflix," she says before slipping out.

 

Rick packs another shirt into the suitcase before Beth steps out of the bathroom, booty shorts on with her hair in a messy ponytail. Rick's eyes look up, watching as she closes the space between him and her. He can tell she's sprayed herself with a tad bit of her perfume, as he smells it stronger than before. She's wearing minimal makeup; she's feeling comfortable around him.  _Exactly what she should feel._

"Just for you." She whispers into his ear as she takes his hand, guiding it to her ass. Rick's palm rests nicely upon the curve, and she moves his hand around to knead into flesh just to show him that she was wearing the panties. 

Rick's feeling the blood flow from his head straight to his cock, causing him to hesitate to form the words he needed. "Your sister wants—a movie..."

 "Does she?" Beth's voice is quiet, just as Rick's is. She plays with his tee, gripping the heather grey fabric as she looks up into his eyes. "Guess you'll have to wait until after..."

"It's gonna be the longest two hours of my life," Rick says into her ear, as she can't help but smirk.

Somehow, seeing him like this—full of want and desperate for her body. 

Rick then cups his hand, smacking her ass with enough force to make her whimper— _just_ enough so she looks up into his eyes with the look of obedience. "The longest."

His presence leaves, stepping aside as she's left with flushed cheeks and a sting on her ass that she deems more pleasurable than painful. Teeth bite down on her lip, and she turns to exit the room to follow him out to the living room.

 

Maggie's got the TV playing some movie about Thanksgiving that Beth settles into, and Rick is watching. She reaches for the blanket at the end of the couch, seeing Maggie wrapped in her own as she sits in the chair that looked as if it were a throne. 

Hands drape the blanket over the couple; it's a thick, wool blanket that she had gotten for Christmas year's back. Cold winters in upstate New York had called for such blankets. She was just glad that she had gotten to use it now.

Time ticks by, and Beth begins to doze off. She's trying her best to watch the movie but it's  _so_ uninteresting that she wonders why they were even watching it. Rick's body is so warm, and she uses him to lean on. He's so comforting that she's just lulling herself to sleep. Maggie's asleep already, and Beth knows that if she falls asleep then Maggie has no argument to be ticked off. So she closes her eyes, leaning into Rick and feels herself...

_...oh._

The sensation causes her legs to shiver. She feels her eyes shoot right open as she nearly lets out a moan from the pleasure she feels. Rick's hand had slipped into her shorts, right under lace panties. God, did he know that her sister was right across the room? Asleep, but still! She was a light sleeper!

She immediately looks up at him, before fingers sink into her core once more. Warmth and moist walls, she opens her mouth to speak before she's left speechless by the ecstasy she's feeling between her thighs right now. Fingers find their way up, pulling back skin to reveal her clit. He's  _slow_ with his motions. Or maybe she's just feeling everything in a slow motion. She isn't exactly sure, but goddamn it, keep going Rick.

"Hm?" Rick asks as he glances to her, head turning to her as she remains with her mouth wide open.

_God he could shove his cock in there._

The sounds of the movie and the layer of blankets were enough to block out any noise from escaping, but she grips the edge of the blanket before biting her lower lip. This was a man who knew his way around a woman's anatomy; up close and personal or from the side. 

"...Ri— _Rick..._ " she manages to say in a nearly inaudible volume. "God..."

His head turns to Maggie, who is passed out in the chair. Mouth open, getting ready to snore. She's nowhere near the point of consciousness.

Slow circular motions are kneaded into her clit, with her voice rising and falling. Breathing intensifying, as she suppressing all moans possible. Thighs hug his hand as she curls toes, and he leans in to her ear.

" _The longest._ " hot breath hits her ear as she closes eyes to maximize the bliss he's giving her. 

He opens his mouth, before pressing a kiss to her neck, sucking and biting onto pale skin.  _I want to feel these panties get soaked_ , his voice is low and quiet, careful not to wake the other sleeping Greene.  _You think this is so fucking good? Just wait until I lay you on the bed and kiss that sweet cunt of yours._ She bites her lip harder, and she bears all the pain radiating from where her teeth sink into skin.  _I'll have you coming so hard and good, princess, that you'll feel your eyes roll into the back of that pretty little head of yours. It's the least your daddy can do for you after all that attention you gave to my cock last time_. 

Visions of her going deeper than he'd expected her to had flashed through his mind as he moves fingers in slow, agonizing motions for her. They occasionally slip lower and sink deeper into pink flesh, swallowing his fingers with force.

**BAM!**

The movie emits a loud sound, books falling off a shelf. It's loud enough that it jumps the two of them, and Rick hears Maggie's snores become interrupted. The next second, she's awake. Fingers exit, and he retracts from her shorts to rest his hand on her lap. 

"What—What time is it?" Maggie asks, groggily awaking before looking to the clock on the DVD player. Late enough for her to get up and excuse herself for the night, waddling to her bedroom down the other hallway so she could fall back into a deep sleep. 

Beth sits up to adjust herself so she's sitting on Rick's lap, legs covering each side of him. Through flannel pajamas she can feel his erection. He'd taken a toll on himself, feeling all the sensations his dick had wanted to feel. Beth crashes into him, lips kissing passionately.

Touché, Mr. Grimes.

 

The ride to the farm is long and quiet. Beth's dreading the moment that they begin to enter their hometown, knowing that she'll be back to whatever person she was just months ago. She had started over; the city had paved a new life for her, and she had started her life there. She didn't want to go back to the place where she'd been treated like a little girl, had her father a drunken mess, and had a shitty boyfriend. It just wasn't what she wanted. 

But her father had deserved to have a chance. Beth wanted to give him that. Maggie wasn't as forgiving, but Beth knew deep down she wanted to give him a chance as well. Beth didn't tell her father about Rick, though. She wouldn't want to and doesn't feel the need to tell him. Rick would be fine—sleeping quarters might be tight, due to her bed being a full. Nothing like Rick's king size bed back in the city, but it was what she had. 

Maggie sits in the front with Lance, talking. They've got the divider up, so Rick and Beth can't exactly hear what they're saying but Maggie laughs every now and then so she knows it's good talk.

Rick's hand rests on Beth's, right in the center seat. They both look out the window and sit in silence as the car rolls on.

The transition from city to country was fairly quick on the highway, and when they get off of it, it's farmland and a small-town world. Beth crosses her legs as she watches, with Rick's already crossed. Rick hadn't been outside of the city in a long time—years, most likely. He'd grown up in the small town scene, and went to a school in a more urban area before finding the city to be his home. There was a brief time where he'd lived outside the city but it didn't last long before they had upgraded to something better in the city. 

He takes note of how quiet Beth is. She's reserved and calm, staring out the window as pastures pass by in a blur. He can't imagine what's going through her mind; she hadn't opened up much about her father, or much of her past life. Rick doesn't ask, and she doesn't tell. And it's the same way.  _If she knew about Lori, the multiple times he'd been unfaithful..._ he'd rather not think about it. He blinks, and he's back.

"We're almost there." She says, voice meek and still as the car turns onto another road. More fields and quietness.

The weather is rainy and damp, with fog covering the majority of these fields. The dim mood had been fitting for the weather. Rick's fingers grip hers, and she shoots him a smile.

Car climbs up the long, dirt driveway. Her father had left the fence gate open for them and she sits up. White car splashes in the puddles, dark mud splattering the shiny exterior.  _Lance would definitely have to find the nearest car wash in the area._

The house was just as she left it. White siding still stained a certain way from weathering, and green roof still missing the same tiles. It was home. Not one that she had returned to for the past few months, but it was her home where she kept her childhood. She could still see herself with her mother on the wrap-around porch, hot summer days, husking corn for the dinner. Fresh corn they'd gotten from the neighbor, and would use for a chowder. One of daddy's favorite dishes. 

When the car stops, Beth's eyes move to Maggie. She stares out the front windshield to the large house, which looked almost haunting in the foggy weather. Fall had been even more in swing here than in the city. Eyes move from her sister to Rick, who is giving her a look. He's there for her; hand doesn't leave hers as she uses her left hand to grip the car door's handle. 

"Hey," Rick's voice is soft as he looks into her blue eyes. His star doll. 

Beth flashes a smile and shakes her head. "I'm fine," she lies through her teeth. "I've gotta do this."

A nod as Lance opens the door for her, letting cool, humid air hit her legs as she steps out into the brisk air. No sounds of traffic in the background, or smells of smog and city air. It smelled, what those who live in the country, would call "fresh". It was a farm, after all.

Rick steps out, and looks up at the old house. This house had seen history. 

Beth slowly walks to her sister's side, looking up to see her father opening the door to the house. She makes direct eye contact with him, as he steps outside. The man had grown his beard out, white hair much longer than the last she'd seen him. He was an older man, her father. Rick examines the man as he stands beside Lance, who then retreats to the car to leave the family to their business.

Maggie's hand then takes Beth's, gripping it tightly as she stares at the man who'd damaged them critically. 

This was going to be a  _long_ weekend, they both think as they take the first step toward their father.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope you're still around for this story — I'm definitely not done here. I am in love with the plot of this story, but my schedule makes it hard to find time to sit down and get into the mood to write. So delayed updates are often due to that, and to me not being sure when to wrap up a chapter. I'm thinking of a Rick/Andrea plot in the meantime as well as continuing this story (and figuring out how I'm gonna put an end to it - I usually write with little plan of what's going to happen). I might also do a plot with Beth/Rick in the apocalypse verse!

The greeting is  _so_ awkward. Maggie stays close to her as they walk to their father, eyes never escaping each other. Beth's fingers clench the bottom of her sweater, as she stares at the man who was her role model for years preceded by a man who went on drunken rampages, destroying every morsel of respect. Breath is heavy, gripping her sister's hand.

Her father has improved from where he was months ago. The farm looked kept up, actually running and functioning. When he'd gone on drunken stupors, things would go undone. She'd be forced, along with Jimmy and neighbors, to do the tasks that were related to being a farmer. Beth had always hated doing these tasks when she did not have the time. It ruined her schedule, and made her spill out apologies to those who were affected other than her.

"My girls," Hershel's voice is quiet as he looks at his girls, up and down, almost inspecting them.

Since Maggie had left, she'd grown out her hair, gotten glasses, and surely changed her fashion style. Eyes stare at her father as he looks her over, and then looks to Beth.

Beth's changed incredibly. She's grown so much in a matter of a few months. The city had done her well, teaching her valuable lessons. On top of her job as a barista, she's performing endlessly. After her shifts, she's either at local bars or shops playing or she's at Rick's apartment. On occasion, she just relaxes at home in her bed. But she's been adjusted to a life where she's constantly on the go.

The silence is heavy, and Rick stares at the scene and steps forward, and Hershel shifts his eyes onto him.

"Who's this?" Hershel asks, before Maggie looks back and Beth looks back as well.

Another second of silence as Rick takes another step forward, and Beth knows she has to answer. 

_She goes to New York for a few months and comes back with a forty year old man. How was that supposed to look?_

"He's—" Beth begins, before Rick closes the wide gap some and holds out his hand.

"Rick Grimes." Hand is met with Hershel's, shaking it as Beth watches tediously. What would happen? Her father had erupted when he discovered that Jimmy had been in her room one night. Now this?

His expression is blank as he makes a firm shake, before smiling and giving a nod.

"He's my... we're..." Beth's words are almost inaudible as she looks to Rick, who gives her a nod.

"I've been seeing your daughter for about a month now, sir," Rick's voice is firm and shows strength. Beth's lips curl to a faint smile.

Hershel's grip loosens, and slips hand away. Rick doesn't lose eye contact as Hershel stares him down, before nodding and offering Rick a smile.

"It's great to meet you, Mr. Grimes," Hershel's voice is calm and accepting as he looks back to Beth and Maggie. "Do you need any help with your things?"

Maggie shakes her head, taking a step off the porch as Lance begins to unload their bags from the back of the car. Rick follows, and Beth does as well.

 

The day had gone so slowly, and it's past noon and Beth had hardly spoken a word to her father. She and Rick retreat to her childhood bedroom, which is so not prepared for her lover of forty to see. Posters of country singers that she'd admired years ago still hung up on her room, pink and white sheets still tucked in on her bed, and jewelry that she hadn't cared to bring to New York. She grimaces at her old fashion taste. 

The old bedroom has a large window in the center of the wall across from her bed that overlooks the fields, and God is it beautiful. City lights were beautiful, and so was the landscape, but nothing had beat farmlands. Simple and clean.

Rick is curious, and picks up a photo frame near her bed. The frame holds a picture of Beth, at a younger age; couldn't have been more than a few years ago. She's smiling with a woman, posing for a picture in what looks to be the summer time. It's taken on the porch outside; he remembers the old, faded wood in the picture. As Beth sets her bag on a chair in the corner in the room, she turns to see Rick looking at the photo. Immediately, she looks down and walks over to his side.

"It's my mom," she says quietly, looking at the photo. When she'd packed to move to New York, she was so invested in reinventing herself that she'd left it behind. Days into her move, she had to resist every urge to hop on the next train back and sneak in without her father knowing to grab it. 

Rick looks at the picture, then to Beth.

"She's beautiful," he breathes as he holds the frame out to her. "I see where you get your looks."

Beth forces a small laugh that's almost inaudible as she takes the frame into her own hands, staring at the two happy faces photographed. She remembered that day quite well. It was weeks prior to her mother's cancer diagnosis, and everyone was happy. A much different time. The fair was going on downtown, and they were preparing to go to it. Beth dolled up, Jimmy waiting in his truck for her as her father stopped her as Beth gave a kiss to her mother.  _You two girls look beautiful. Let me take a picture._ Beth didn't think anything of it, and posed happily. Now she was more than glad that her father had grabbed the camera in that moment.

"She had a heart of gold. She could see through anyone, and find the good in anyone..." Beth's voice trailed off as she looks into the photograph. Dust particles coating the glass, faint light from outside glimmering off of the glass. "I know she would have loved you."

 _I don't know about that,_ Rick thought immediately. If she could see through anyone, would that mean she'd see his infidelity and wrong doings through his previous marriage? 

There was so much Rick hadn't told Beth; she was head over heels in love, and he was too, but... would she still be after learning that the reason for the divorce he'd never told her about was because of the numerous nights where he'd been unfaithful to his wife. Strained marriage had drove him to break vows, and poison the relationship between who he thought would be his forever.

"She died of a liver cancer, which is awfully ironic considering my father's situation." Beth shook her head. She places the photo back onto the nightstand, and turns to Rick. "I know how it looks. Me running off from home, leaving my drunken father to fend for himself," Beth starts before Rick shakes his head.

"You did what you had to do." Assurance in his voice calms her, but she shakes her head back.

"He had gotten to a new low. I tried to help, but he just... it was out of my hands." She looks up into his arctic blue eyes with her own teary eyes. "My father is a good man, Rick," there's a silence in the room that's broken as she sits on the bed that's got a creak. "He's a damn good man. My mother kept him grounded, but everything was so sudden and he just... spiraled..."

Rick sits beside her and places a hand on her thigh. 

"Some daughter I am." He raises an eyebrow on those words.

 _Some father he was,_ to his own son who'd taken a backseat to his life. Lori hadn't done the best either, but it would seem as if Rick had hardly made an effort to be a father to his son. Deep down, he knows that's why he doesn't fight harder in the custody battle. Lori would treat him better over Rick. 

Rick swallows hard, looking down now as he grips her hand. "Beth..." His voice trails off as her name escapes his mouth.

She glances to him, waiting for him to spit out the words.

"I haven't been exactly up front with you." Rick's breath is shaky. He stares at old hardwood as Beth looks at Rick, eyes pleading for him to spit whatever he was going to say, out. Echoes of Lori's voice in his head doesn't go away.  _You better talk to her_. Easier said than done.

"I have a son," The words are bold. "My ex-wife and I..." He fades off again, before rendering that he has to finish this now. "The divorce is not finalized. I'm still legally married to her, and it's only because we want to dispute custody before we sign off on anything."

Beth's quiet, breathing steady as she stares at the ground. Had she just imagined he said that?  _No, absolutely not._ She blinks a few times, shaking her head slightly as she tries to compute the information. 

" _Oh._ " 

 _Oh,_ is right.

"I am  _so_ sorry I didn't tell you. I should have, a thousand times over," Rick says as she slowly looks up to him. 

Big, blue eyes stare up at him. "How old is your son?"

"Thirteen." He says, not even having to think about it. He might have been absent, but he loved his kid more than anything.

 _Thirteen._ Beth swallows that number, and nods. "How long were you... married?"

"Fourteen—nearly fifteen years." Rick says with immense pressure lifting off his chest. She isn't getting up, telling him to get out, or crying and calling him a bastard. 

But her daft silence is even scarier than he'd have thought.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Beth's calm and collective, getting her mind wrapped around the information. 

It's silent for another moment, the only sounds are their breathing. Beth stares at the carpeted floor, analyzing everything she possibly could. 

All this time... he had a  _son_. Thirteen years old—christ, it's only six years younger than her. She doesn't judge Rick's age for a second, but she has to take a reality check to put everything into place. He was married. He has a kid. Surely, she was naive to believe that he had just...  _dated_ up until he'd met her, but again—christ.

"I didn't want..." voice drifts off, eyes staring at a stunned Beth. "I should have."

Beth doesn't flinch, or even move her eyes. She just sits there like a deer in headlights, not sure what to do next. She's breathing, in and out, softly. 

Could she be mad? Of course, she had every right to be. A  _son,_ still married to his wife, or ex-wife, rather. She inhales, processing another wave of the information dumped before her. Why the hell had he been divorced in the first place? He was a successful man who'd treated her better than any boy had (though, she didn't have much of a comparison), and was incredible in the sheets. How? Why?

"I'm going to be honest," Rick breathes out and looks down at the carpet. "My wife... she was the one who divorced me. I was going through an awful patch in my life," his voice is explanatory and she listens to every word with a million thoughts running through her mind. "I was fed up of... everything," he shook his head. "My life... I hated the routine. I put more time into work than my family, and I wasn't home for anything."

Beth is silent.

"I've had my fair share of affairs. I don't think I could've felt more like shit." Rick stares at the floorboards and Beth stares down too.

She's silent. Too silent. What the hell was she supposed to say to him, in all honesty? He had just confessed a shit load of things that she's scrambling to process and accept because she  _loves_ him. That's when she knows it for sure. She's sitting here, listening to every sin he's done and she's reasoning with the universe to deem him a good person. 

"When you met me..." Beth's voice is so meek and quiet, still floating around everything in her mind. Rick turns, not looking into her eyes as she stares at the ground and gathers all the strength to continue her sentence. "I wasn't just... an affair, right?" Beth asks as Rick snaps to look at her. Beth looks back at it all now; how  _easy_ they had just flowed. No information swapped, and that's the way it rolled. Had she been the 'other' woman? Maybe she was just a side fling that Rick believed would happen once, or maybe just something that he was treating as another life. Her mind is going a million miles a minute because she's thinking of every goddamn possibility. "Your wife didn't believe that you were still... together?"

"I  _ **promise**_ you, Beth, when I say this: she knew we were done." Rick says quickly, knowing just what Beth could be doubting. "We had it in the works. When I was on my coffee breaks, I usually had been contacting my lawyer." He says as she looks up to him with doe eyes. "When I first heard you sing... it made me realize that you were so much more than the beautiful barista that made my coffee everyday. You were my breath of fresh air."

Beth hears the words, and they're calm and quiet. She can hear her father and sister talking downstairs and she can't focus on that right now — she had to focus on this. 

"Rick..." She feels his hand take hers, and she doesn't fight it; but she doesn't focus on that either. She's under so much stress and this... well, this had  _really_ done it for her. She gets up, and she doesn't turn to Rick or say anything else. He watches as she grabs a jacket from the back of her desk chair, and exits the room. He's left there sitting on the bed, room empty and feeling like absolute shit. More shit than when he'd first cheated on Lori, and even more than when she'd submitted for custody of Carl. 

He sits there and beats himself up mentally. He  _had_ to wait.  _But... when was an appropriate time to tell her? After he had plowed her pussy and spent a better part of an hour spanking her and making her beg for his cock?_ Absolutely not. Lori was right, and her shock to the situation was absolutely necessary. Rick should have told Lori, too. She was the mother of his child for crying out loud!

He could only imagine what Carl would think when and if he'd meet Beth —  _my dad's seeing... you?_

Yeah, that'd go down real well. He exhales audibly, running hands over his face as he looks up at the ceiling in hopes to think of something. Anything. But he just can't stop beating himself up over the situation.

 

Some time passes, and he finally emerges from the bedroom. He follows the stairs down, and finds Hershel in the kitchen cutting up potatoes and carrots, with a roast on the table, marinating. Hershel looks up as Rick walks into the kitchen, sniffing the aroma that's permeated the room. Seasoned meat, vegetables and sauces that make his mouth water. It'd been a while since he'd seen anything home-cooked like this.

"I'm sure my daughters have told you about me being an alcoholic," Hershel says as he dices a potato and slides the cut pieces to the side of the cutting board. The house is empty, beside the two. "The cooking helps. They tell us... when you're occupied and find a hobby, it distracts you. Can make you make better decisions."

Rick nods at the man, walking over to examine the meal in process. "Smells great."

It's silent for a moment as Rick observes Hershel dicing vegetables, and he breathes out. "Bethy likes you a lot. The way she looks at you, I mean,"

Rick's eyes look up to the man. "Hm?"

"She stormed out of here pissed off, I could tell. Her sister runnin' after her and Beth stammering about wanting to be left alone, but that's just how she is. Headstrong like her mother." Rick stares as Hershel speaks, and he glances toward the man. "I don't know you, and right now you're nothin' but a man from the big city to me right now, but I try not to make judgements anymore." Hershel chops another vegetable. "I'm not exactly in the right position to be judging much."

Rick looks down at the hardwood floors. "I said something to her that I should've said a while ago." Rick admits to the man, who really is a stranger to him right now. But he's Beth's father.

"I can bet you she's out there riding Nelly right now." Hershel glances out the window that looks out onto the back fields.

"Nelly?" Rick asks, glancing to the window and back to Hershel with a confused expression on his face.

Hershel laughs slightly. "Her horse.  _Nervous Nelly,_ we call her. Annette and I had got her the horse when she started to learn how to ride. The look on her face when we brought home that horse..." Hershel says with a smile on his face, looking back onto happier times. 

Rick smiles as he could only imagine. Sometimes he really does forget that Beth grew up in the New York countryside, even more rural than he did. She was a farm girl in a lot of ways, but she had disguised herself in the city quite well. 

"She loves that horse to pieces. When she's going through a lot... she rides her for hours." Hershel says quietly. "Always back before dark, and never late for dinner."

Rick smiles slightly as he thinks of Beth and what made her happy growing up. He realizes how much he had loved learning about her past. 

"Rick?" Hershel asks as Rick looks back up.

"Hm?"

Hershel sets the knife down and turns to Rick, looking at him. "I love my daughters. I'm sure you've heard of what I've done but... I'm working on redemption, here." He pauses. "My sponsor says it's good to make amends and fix broken relationships. I wouldn't have had the nerve to contact my daughters if it wasn't for him."

"You're doing just fine. Beth... I can tell how much she's missed home." Rick speaks softly.

"She has, hasn't she? The big city doesn't have a stable ready for you at the end of a long day." Hershel jokes and Rick breathes a laugh. "When she left... I was broken. But it made me realize just what kind of problem I had. I had gone through every kind of episode after she left, and I'm my daughters weren't here to see me. I was a god awful mess." 

Rick thinks of Carl, and how he's watched his parents fight. Meeting after meeting, and it's been so long since he's seen Carl. 

"I don't think I'd be asking Beth's boyfriend this normally, but... do you have kids?" Hershel asks sincerely as he watches Rick stare out into the fields. 

Rick turns back. "I do. I have a son... his name is Carl." 

Immediately, Hershel smiles. "No matter the age, Beth loves kids. Always has."

Rick's lips form to a smile as Hershel says that, and he thinks of Beth actually  _with_ Carl. Not just some awkward meeting, but getting to know each other. Things begin to look positive. 

"What do you do for work?" Hershel asks as he picks up the knife and resumes preparing for dinner. Rick stands, and walks to the sink and squirts soap onto hands before lathering up. 

Rick turns on the faucet, dribbles of water pouring out. "I'm the CEO of a company that produces different medical instruments for hospitals."

Hershel's eyebrow perks up. "In Manhattan?"

"Mhm," Rick says as he dries his hands and goes to the pile of vegetables needing to be cut for a salad.

"Sounds important." Hershel says and begins to transfer the vegetables to the pot, ready to cook the roast. "Good on you, Rick."

Rick picks up a knife and begins to cut up peppers. He turns over when Maggie comes walking through the door, back screen door slamming behind her — and he feels a sharp pain on his finger.  _Ouch_.

"Rick," Maggie says as she sees the incident happen. "I'll get the bandages. They still upstairs underneath the sink?" Maggie looks at her father who was unaware of what just happened. 

"Oh—yes, by the peroxide." He says as she dashes upstairs. "Let me guess: you're not much of a cook, and you don't know how to multitask very well."

"One of those is very true," Rick says as he runs to the sink and puts his finger under running water, traces of blood quickly swirling to the drain. It's not a  _bad_ cut, but it's one that's definitely going to hurt for a few hours.  Hershel picks up the pepper, tossing it to the trash and wiping up what blood had been on the counter.

Maggie's rushing down the stairs, bandaid ready to be applied. She's quick, wiping up the excess blood before slapping the bandaid on tight and making sure that it'd stay on with respect to the flexibility of his fingers. 

She'd had him sit on the couch in the living room, away from the food that was being prepared to cook. 

"There," Maggie says softly as she wipes off her hand.

Rick looks at Maggie with worry. "Beth... how is she?"

Maggie looks down, crumpling up the wrappers from the bandaid and stuffing them in the box. She'd have to make a run to the pharmacy later and get another box — they were all out. She's silent until she looks back up at him, staring into his eyes.

"Hurt. Shocked." Maggie lists them off, before looking down, and Rick looks down to the floor in shame, before she breathes out. " _In love_." 

Rick looks back up, and she stands before walking to the kitchen. "She's riding her horse. Don't know when she'll be back."

He nods at her sister and leans back on the couch, thinking. It begins to pour outside, and he looks out to see the rain hit puddles from the last wave of rain. That's when he begins to hope Beth is at least dry, wherever she is. She can handle herself; this was her territory. He sighs and stands up before walking upstairs and pulling out his phone; it was time for an overdue phone call to Lori.

 

It's not until later that night when he begins to really worry. Dinner is almost done, Beth's still gone and it's a moderate drizzle outside. Maggie isn't worried in the slightest, and Hershel is setting the table. Rick had been watching from the window from Beth's bedroom, talking to Carl and asking him how everything was doing. His voice feels foreign, not having talked in so long — but Hershel had shown that redemption was possible, and Rick wanted to repair the small damage in his and Carl's relationship before it turned to something bigger. 

A relationship that was strained and tough had been what was in the making between his son, and it wasn't what he wanted. He'd spent the majority of his son's life working; days, nights, even holidays and birthdays. It was time to change that.

When Rick hangs up, the call ends with the exchanges of  _I love you_ and  _see you soon_. It's dark outside now, and he walks out of Beth's bedroom to find his way downstairs. Upon walking down, Maggie and Hershel are talking while finishing up the cooking; Rick can tell it's a deep conversation just by the way they're talking and moving their hands. He stands there before the two glance out the window together, staring at something.

Rick can't hear much from where he's standing, but he can make out, "Beth's back."

Rick walks to the kitchen area, and looks out to the window. Out by the barn, there's a light in the midst of the rain and fog. He doesn't hesitate; he quickly exits the house and begins to make his way down to the barn. Sure, the rain is cold on his skin without a jacket of any sort, but he doesn't care. 

 

In the barn, Beth stands by the stall as she locks it for the night. Who he presumes to be Nelly is going in for a rest, drenched by the rain and dripping. Beth pats the nose of the horse, dripping wet herself. 

"Good girl..." Beth whispers calmly as she realizes she might have overdone it, but with everything going on and her not having ridden in so long... she lost track of time. 

When Rick takes a step closer, old barn wood creaks underneath boots and causes Beth to turn his way, doe eyes gotten that shocked look once more. She doesn't look away or shoot him a glare, she just gives him a small smile. Rick walks closer, slowly, and turns his eyes to the horse who had retreated back to her stall.

"Nervous Nelly..." He says quietly, sounds of rain drops hitting the barn's roof. 

Beth is shocked he knows her name, but looks to Nelly as she feeds on the hay in her stall from her meal that she had earlier. "I didn't tell you I had a horse..."

 _I didn't tell you I had a kid and was in the process of getting a divorce._ He holds that back, and breathes a laugh. "Your dad and I... we talked a little. He told me all about her."

She looks up when he mentions her father, and she nods at him before looking back down. 

There's a moment of silence before Rick breaks it. "Let's get inside, it's cold and you're drenched. You need to change." He holds out his hand for her to take so he could guide her back.

She looks back up at Rick, but doesn't budge an inch. Her eyes stare at the man and she stands her ground. She's hesitant because, truly, she had a day of thinking. 

When she had stormed out of the house, Maggie following after her, Beth had told Maggie again and again that she had wanted to be left alone. She was in need of doing some thinking, and a ride on Nelly would cure all of that. Maggie objected and got on her own horse, following after Beth for a while before finding it futile to continue and giving up to head back to the farm. Beth, however, followed the trails to her favorite spots as a teenager. Spots that she'd ride to when her life was just not going the way it was supposed to. When she had found out her mother had the cancer, when she had her first heartbreak, and when she was full of butterflies from the naive attitude she had before the heartbreak. Beth sits, Nelly eats vegetation, and the two think about life. Well, Beth does anyways.

Today was alike. She rode to the pond out in the woods, sitting in the long grass that had dew all over it. She was already wet from the light drizzle, so she didn't care much. The calmness was a break from the hectic New York scenery. Even at night, her bedroom was rarely quiet. There was always something; a car alarm, a car driving by, or just the city's ambience. She breathes in the damp air, and she thinks. Her mind tears apart the situation she's in, and she wishes her mom was here to talk her through it. But she closes her eyes and thinks. She weighs.  _What if Rick hadn't been a part of her life?_ She'd be serving up coffees by day, singing hopelessly at night. She really was a  _Star Doll_ during the nights.

 _What if Rick stayed in her life?_ She ponders this seriously, and thinks. She compares what she wants in her life, and if he'd be able to match or give her what she wants. The only problem she could see is the child aspect, but... maybe that could change? Rick Grimes was a gentle man, aside from when he was trying to get what he wanted. He's a good man in her eyes, even when she's thrown into a world of shock. His home is always welcoming to her, and he's a man that knows how to comfort her when she needs it. And she balances it out... she's a good girl in his eyes, and knows exactly how to make him happy. They meshed well together.

She takes a step closer, eyeing him before taking another. One step at a time. 

During her time to think, she had accepted the situation. It's obvious that Beth never really did ask about his life often (though Rick should have said something), and she knows that opening up can be hard. After all, she did have an alcoholic father to explain. 

Beth takes his hand, which is warm compared to her chilled hand. Rain at this time of the year had nearly been snow, and that meant frigid temperatures when it did rain. She hadn't even realized it, but she's shivering now and he's cold himself; he had headed out the door the moment he saw she was back. 

 

Inside, Beth had made her way upstairs with Rick following. Maggie and Hershel sat around the table, getting ready to eat before seeing the state that Beth was in, and Maggie rises to help before Rick shakes his head, raising a hand to signal that he's got this. _Big sister had to learn to let go and let her man take care of her,_ she supposed. Hershel smiles and holds out his hand to Maggie to say grace for their meal; Maggie stares at his hand not because she didn't want to grab it, but in all honesty, she hadn't said grace in so long that she was shocked when he had wanted to. 

Upstairs, Beth turns on the bathroom light and turns the faucet to the shower. Rick follows inside, shutting the door behind him as he sees the faucet begin to spout water. 

This wasn't anything like his bathroom back home; a small, old-styled bathroom that had a shower with a shower curtain. The shower itself was a large bathtub with pipes attached to make the water spout from the head. Beth flips a switch, and the water flow at the faucet comes to a stop before the water flows from the shower head. She takes off her jacket, which is completely soaked, and lays it atop of the toilet seat. She then grabs the bottom end of her shirt before she comes into contact with his hands and she turns to look behind her and he's there, guiding the shirt over her head. Beth leans back into his touch, allowing him to take the shirt off of her before hearing it fall onto the floor. Boots slip off, and she feels it be so natural.

She turns, looking up at him. His eyes look tired, hair wet from the rain and clothes damp. She unbuttons his shirt, taking it out of his pants before working his arms out. She then works at his belt, slowly undoing the strap and button. She then takes note of the bandage on his finger, looking up to him with a questionable look.

"How did you..." she asks in such a soft tone.

Rick shakes his head. "There's a reason why I've never cooked for you." He says with a flash of a smile, and she shakes her head in laughter. 

Hands are careful, and she removes the bandage as fast as she can without causing him pain. The cut had began to form a scar, but it was still fresh, and the bandage was bloodied. One hell of a cut, Grimes.

"Washing it will be good," she mutters as she tosses the bandage to the trash. "Maybe a cooking class would be too..."

Rick snorts, and opens the shower curtain for her. Steam began to fill the bathroom, and when the hot water hits her skin she flinches. It's a bold contrast in comparison to her cold skin, and she steps to the side to make room for Rick. This was her first time showering with another person, and she had to admit how much she enjoyed it. Especially with it being Rick; she was finding that she loved doing everything with him. 

She watches as his foot steps into the shower, him closing the shower curtain behind them. She looks up at him to just marvel at him — because she had really gotten lucky. She had found a great man, and knew that their story was just beginning. Water rushing down her body, she leans back and tilts her head up. Mouth opens at the sensation, and she feels her jawline become attacked by his lips. He figured this was a great opportunity, and she had looked so angelic in the moment. 

Things would work out; they always had a habit of doing so, and this was no exception. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a review! I will be continuing this and hope that this unfolds perfectly. I love writing these two together!


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